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Open access publications by faculty, postdocs, and graduate students in the School of Education.
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Item Exploring Linguistic Capital and Social Reproduction in Elite Bilingual Schools Across the Globe(Bilingual Review/Revista Bilingüe, 2025-09-15) James, Benjamin M.de Mejía (2002) defines “elite” bilingual schooling as a privileged educational choice for families seeking to access or preserve prized symbolic capital and economic advantage through bilingual education in two or more high-status languages. This systematic literature review examines 48 entries from peer-reviewed journals, edited volumes, and books investigating so-called “elite” bilingual K–12 schooling across 35 global contexts. The review outlines various characteristics of these “elite” bilingual schools, including school types, language policies, and teaching staff. Additionally, I apply Bourdieu’s (1977) concept of symbolic capital to explore how these schools function as sites of social reproduction, where learners are positioned to access and reproduce high-status linguistic and cultural capital. Findings describe the neoliberal language and institutional policies, as well as stakeholder attitudes, that frame bilingual education in these “elite” contexts as an investment in the market-based competitiveness of both the schools and their students. These findings suggest that so-called “elite” bilingual schools represent a fruitful yet understudied context for investigating social reproduction and the interrelationship between bilingual education, social class, and political economies. de Mejía (2002) define la educación bilingüe “élite” como una opción educativa privilegiada elegida por familias que buscan acceder o preservar capital simbólico valioso y ventajas económicas mediante la educación bilingüe en dos o más lenguas de alto prestigio. Esta revisión sistemática de la literatura examina 48 publicaciones provenientes de revistas académicas arbitradas, volúmenes editados y libros que investigan la escolarización bilingüe K–12 denominada “élite” en 35 contextos globales. La revisión describe diversas características de estas escuelas bilingües “élite”, incluyendo los tipos de instituciones, las políticas lingüísticas y el personal docente. Además, se aplica el concepto de capital simbólico de Bourdieu (1977) para explorar cómo estas escuelas funcionan como espacios de reproducción social, donde los estudiantes son posicionados para acceder y reproducir capital lingüístico y cultural de alto estatus. Los hallazgos describen las políticas lingüísticas e institucionales de corte neoliberal, así como las actitudes de los actores implicados, que enmarcan la educación bilingüe en estos contextos “élite” como una inversión en la competitividad orientada al mercado tanto de las escuelas como de sus estudiantes. Estos resultados sugieren que las escuelas bilingües denominadas “élite” representan un contexto fértil pero aún poco estudiado para investigar los procesos de reproducción social y la interrelación entre educación bilingüe, clase social y economías políticas.Item Back to the Physical Classroom: What Changed in IEP Reading Instruction in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic(The Reading Matrix [Publication accepted, not in print due to journal closure], 2025-09-22) Bentahar, Adil; Altalouli, MahmoudAmid an overall transition to remote work and online learning, this research investigates the adaptations of Intensive English Program (IEP) reading instructors in their transitions into the physical classroom. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with eight IEP instructors from a mid-sized university located in the Mid-Atlantic region to capture their experiences and perceived changes to their teaching practices following the pandemic. Results demonstrated increased integration and acceptance of online tools in face-to-face settings, a major pedagogical transition. Instructors reported varied engagement challenges and a reliance on technology to mediate these issues, reflecting a hybrid teaching environment where digital and traditional methods coexist. This research responds to the ongoing changes typical of reading instruction by providing insight into the opportunities presented by and potential pitfalls of the transition.Item Meta-Evaluative Practices of Clinical and Translational Research Evaluators(Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 2025-08-07) Giancola, Sue; Stevenson, John F.; Philibert, IngridIntroduction: The NIH Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program was created to build capacity and enhance research in states with historically low levels of NIH funding. IDeA Clinical and Translational Research (CTR) networks are focused on building statewide and regional capacity to conduct biomedical research. The tracking and evaluation component of each CTR is tasked with collecting data to facilitate continuous improvement and measure impact. Methods: This paper presents findings from a survey conducted with IDeA-CTR evaluators examining the following questions: 1) To what extent do evaluators use metaevaluative practices and how does meta-evaluation inform their evaluation? and 2) What challenges evaluators face in their evaluation planning and implementation? Results: Findings show that 50% of CTRs conducted some form of meta-evaluation. Further, quantitative and qualitative responses tell a compelling story of the challenges in translational research evaluation. The most prominent were the development of feasible and useful data management systems, the selection and endorsement of program-wide impact metrics, and the promulgation of realistic expectations regarding feasibility and utility for recipients of the evaluation, including expectations for project impacts that lead to systemic change. Conclusions: Findings suggest the importance of internally adopting a participatory, collaborative approach to evaluation and externally sharing insights with and adopting strategies from fellow evaluators within a learning community. This study promotes the value of conducting meta-evaluation in CTR settings, demonstrates means for and results from doing so, and shares best practices for addressing challenges encountered by many CTR evaluators.Item Grading and Ungrading in Democratic Dialogic Classes Situated in a Conventional Higher Education Institution(Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 2025-03-26) Matusov, EugeneThis article explores the contentious role of grading and ungrading in democratic dialogic education within conventional higher education. It critiques summative assessment for undermining genuine education by prioritizing compliance over inquiry, fostering distrust, and penalizing mistakes vital for educational growth. While institutionally mandated grading persists, the author introduces flexible pedagogical regimes accommodating diverse learner needs, including options for ungrading. These approaches prioritize student autonomy, emphasizing self-education rather than educational paternalism and credentialism. Challenges include cultural resistance, institutional constraints, and "school toxification." Despite obstacles, the author advocates for transformative practices that honor students' rights to self-education and preserve the integrity of democratic pedagogy.Item A comparative study on monologic vs. dialogic technology-mediated feedback modalities: Students’ uptake and perspectives(The JALT CALL Journal, 2025-02-26) Kazemi, Maryam; Saadat, Mahboobeh; Wilson, Joshua; Rahimi, MohammadInvestigating how learners incorporate feedback into drafts is crucial, as feedback alone does not ensure effective implementation. Writing instructors can offer technology-mediated feedback rather than traditional methods, a practice supported by current research, for managing feedback processes and improving uptake. Consequently, this study compares screencast feedback (monologic) and online one-on-one video conference feedback (dialogic) on literature reviews (LRs) of 10 students in an L2 academic writing class. Over five weeks, half the students received one-on-one video conference feedback for their first draft and screencast feedback for the second draft, while the others received feedback in reverse order and then revised their drafts. Quantitative analysis showed a significant success rate difference favoring one-on-one video conference feedback, confirmed by Chi-square tests. This feedback was especially effective in content clarity, content development, cohesion, and coherence. Qualitative student interviews revealed the usefulness of both feedback types, with one-on-one video conference feedback proving superior for communication and comprehension. Findings suggest there may be some efficiencies if instructors could incorporate both types yet save more time-consuming, effortful modalities (one-on-one) to address vital issues. Hence, language instructors should consider these approaches as complementary rather than competing technology tools.Item Exploring the Effectiveness of Large-Scale Automated Writing Evaluation Implementation on State Test Performance Using Generalised Boosted Modelling(Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2025-02-23) Huang, Yue; Wilson, JoshuaBackground Automated writing evaluation (AWE) systems, used as formative assessment tools in writing classrooms, are promising for enhancing instruction and improving student performance. Although meta-analytic evidence supports AWE's effectiveness in various contexts, research on its effectiveness in the U.S. K–12 setting has lagged behind its rapid adoption. Further rigorous studies are needed to investigate the effectiveness of AWE within the U.S. K–12 context. Objectives This study aims to investigate the usage and effectiveness of the Utah Compose AWE system on students' state test English Language Arts (ELA) performance in its first year of statewide implementation. Methods The sample included all students from grades 4–11 during the school year 2015 in Utah (N = 337,473). Employing a quasi-experimental design using generalised boosted modelling for propensity score weighting, the analysis focused on estimating the average treatment effects among the treated (ATT) of the AWE system. Results and Conclusions The results showed that students who utilised AWE more frequently demonstrated improved ELA performance compared to their counterparts with lower or no usage. The effects varied across certain student demographic groups. This study provides strong and systematic evidence to support the hypothesis of causal inferences regarding AWE's effects within a large-scale, naturalistic implementation, offering valuable insights for stakeholders seeking to understand the effectiveness of AWE systems. Summary - What is currently known about this topic? ○ Automated writing evaluation (AWE) systems have the potential to enhance writing instruction and improve student writing skills. ○ Previous studies show mixed results regarding AWE effectiveness in U.S. K–12 settings. ○ There is a lack of methodologically rigorous studies that explore AWE's effects on high-stakes performance. - What does this paper add? ○ This study is the first to apply propensity score methods to explore AWE's effects and provide robust evidence supporting the hypothesis of a causal relationship across diverse demographics within the context of large-scale, naturalistic implementation in the U.S. ○ Deeper and consistent use of AWE significantly enhances students' state test English Language Arts performance. ○ Students from certain demographic subgroups may benefit more from using AWE frequently. - Implications for practice/or policy ○ The findings provide evidence-based guidance for policymakers and administrators on adopting AWE systems and their effects on state test performance. ○ AWE shows promise to help address long-standing educational disparities.Item What Does Play Have to Do With It? A Concrete and Digital Spatial Intervention With 3-Year-Olds Predicts Spatial and Math Learning(Developmental Psychology, 2025-01-16) Bower, Corinne A.; Zimmermann, Laura; Verdine, Brian N.; Spiewak Toub, Tamara; Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy; Michnick Golinkoff, RobertaSpatial skills like block building and puzzle making are associated with later growth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning. How these early spatial experiences—both in concrete and digital platforms—boost children’s spatial skills remains a mystery. This study examined how children with low- and high-parental education use corrective feedback in a series of spatial assembly tasks. We further ask whether this spatial learning increases near- and far-transfer spatial and math skills. U.S. preschoolers (N = 331) were randomly assigned to either a “business-as-usual” control or one of six spatial training groups (comprising concrete and digital training with modeling and feedback [MF], gesture feedback, or spatial language feedback). Children were trained for 5 weeks to construct 2D puzzles that match a model using a variety of geometric shapes. Pre- and posttests evaluated 2D and 3D spatial assembly, spatial language comprehension, shape identification, and math performance. Results indicate performance enhancement in trained 2D spatial assembly across all six trainings. Digital gesture feedback transferred, boosting 3D spatial assembly performance. Both concrete and digital spatial language feedback trainings increased shape identification performance. Concrete-MF significantly (and digital-MF marginally) increased word problem math performance for children with lower parental education. Finally, collapsing across conditions, both concrete and digital training increased overall spatial skills, especially for preschoolers with lower parental education. Transfer to overall mathematics performance was far less robust. Overall, early concrete and digital spatial assembly experiences seem to support preschoolers’ spatial skill development but have a minor impact on mathematics skill development. Public Significance Statement Understanding how different types of spatial training impact children’s learning can inform the design of effective interventions to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills, particularly among those from underresourced backgrounds. Results from the present study suggest that spatial assembly training improved spatial skills and possibly math word problem skills of children with lower parental education. This research illustrates the potential of both concrete and digital spatial assembly in fostering early spatial ability and possibly math ability, offering promising avenues for equitable and accessible educational interventions.Item Rough Draft Math for Engaged Learning(Journal of Mathematics Education Leadership, 2025-02-16) Bondurant, Liza; Jansen, AmandaMathematics educators often face the challenge of students disliking mathematics or experiencing a negative relationship with the subject. Intentional teaching practices can be a mechanism to mitigate this challenge; thus, preservice and novice teachers would benefit from opportunities to develop such teaching practices. This research explored the potential of rough draft math (RDM) to support teachers in addressing these issues. RDM is a pedagogical approach where students discuss and share their preliminary mathematical ideas without the fear of being wrong. Teachers welcome rough draft thinking, which gives students explicit opportunities to review their work or thinking. This study examined the impact of RDM on preservice and novice secondary mathematics teachers through their written reflections on opportunities to learn about the approach through readings. Findings suggested that the readings can promote preservice and novice teachers' awareness of how RDM can foster a more comfortable and engaging learning environment, highlighting the importance of teachers holding a nonevaluative stance toward students' thinking and teachers' roles in facilitating mathematical discourse.Item Editorial: Culture and Second Language (L2) Learning in Migrants, Volume II(Frontiers in Psychology, 2025-03-21) Pasquarella, Adrian; Jia, Fanli; Ferreira, Aline; Schwieter, John W.Language acquisition and cultural adaptation are fundamental aspects of migration, shaping individuals' identities, opportunities, and wellbeing. As societies become increasingly multilingual and diverse, understanding the complex interactions between language learning, cultural integration, and social dynamics is more important than ever. Learning a second language (L2) is more than just acquiring words and grammar; it is a deeply personal, social, and cultural experience. This Research Topic brings together cutting-edge research that examines these themes from multiple perspectives, shedding light on L2 learning, heritage language maintenance, migration experiences, and linguistic adaptation.Item REPAC: Critical Questions to Inform EdD Programs in an Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence(Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 2025-02-07) Langran, Elizabeth; Azevedo, Paula Cristina R.; Dreon, Oliver; Budhai, Stephanie Smith; Hauth, ClaraThis essay presents a framework of critical questions designed to guide EdD program leaders and faculty in integrating generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into their curricula and policies. The REPAC framework aids in reflecting, reenvisioning, and redesigning educational practices to better incorporate GenAI, focusing on how candidates learn with and about AI tools. These questions ensure that program transformations are evaluated through equity, ethics, and justice lenses. Moreover, they provide a foundation for revising policies and practices, developing new guidelines, and promoting innovative AI use while upholding academic integrity. Authored by faculty from three institutions, this framework includes scenarios that illustrate the educational potential and impact of GenAI, scaffolding the decision-making process and fostering an understanding of AI tools in EdD programs.Item “They Just Don’t Get That We Matter”: Black Boys’ Critical Consciousness Development During a Health Crisis and Racial Reckoning(Urban Review, 2025-02-06) Carey, Roderick L.; Polanco, Camila; Blackman, Horatio; Daughtry, Kendell A.; Abrams, Holly R.; Miller, Mark X.; Marianno, Latrice; Vilceus, Sophia Sunshine; Alobwede, Epie; Woelki, WilliamWhile the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened racial unrest throughout 2020–2021 brought forth unprecedented disruption and trauma to youth and their families globally, these societal occurrences also provided fodder for youth learning and development. We use a theory of critical consciousness development (e.g., critical reflection, critical motivation, and critical action) and a racialized lens on social-psychological “mattering” to explore the voiced perspectives of adolescent Black high school boys, who participated in our school-university research partnership called The Black Boy Mattering Project. Findings from focus group interviews, gathered over the course of two school years, revealed that as participants navigated the health crisis and widespread racial reckoning, they deepened their critical consciousness of their marginal mattering. Marginal mattering reflects a type of perceived insignificance driven by sensing hyper-awareness from others for the alleged negative traits of one’s minoritized (e.g., racial) group. It led to Black boys feeling unappreciated, undervalued, and even feared in society and school environments. Findings show that while maneuvering COVID-19, participants’ encounters with Black Lives Matter via social media and news outlets inspired their critical reflection on the racial realities that framed their social and school lives and fueled their marginal mattering. Participants also determined protestors’ capacity to impact social change for the Black community, which inspired them to evaluate their critical motivation for making school-level change. While participants did not join street-level protests, they engaged in critical action through social media and some school-based endeavors. Implications suggest ways forward for more humanizing school policies and practices.Item Informant Discrepancies in Universal Behavioral Screening at the High School Level(School Psychology, 2024-12-30) Ormiston, Heather E.; Zakszeski, Brittany N.; Osgood, Daniel; Renshaw, Tyler L.; Komer, Jack; McPherson, Elizabeth C.The use of self-report measures evaluating social, emotional, and behavioral risk can be an important element of universal screening with older children and adolescents. Research has demonstrated discrepancies between teacher ratings and student self-report ratings of social, emotional, and behavioral risk, which commonly result in incongruent risk classifications. The present study explored classification incongruence and informant discrepancies on the teacher- and student self-report versions of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener. Screening data from over 600 high school students and their homeroom teachers were examined. Results showed classification congruence was highest for the Social Behavior subscale and lowest for the Emotional Behavior subscale of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener, with teachers endorsing lower levels of risk compared to students. Analysis of potential sociodemographic predictors of informant discrepancies indicated that grade, sex, free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, 504 plan status, and special education status were significant predictors of classification incongruence on at least one Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener subscale. Implications for practice and limitations are discussed. Impact and Implications Universal social, emotional, and behavioral screening data were examined for incongruence on teacher- and self-report measures for high school students. Greater incongruence was found for Emotional Behavior risk ratings, particularly for female students. Grade, sex, special education status, 504 plan status, and free and reduced-price lunch status were significant predictors of classification incongruence. Taken together, findings suggest the importance of utilizing multiple informants in universal social, emotional, and behavioral screening.Item Understanding the Baseline: Mainstream Educators' Preparation to Teach Multilingual Learners(TESOL Journal, 2024-12-30) Pasquarella, Adrian; Caplan, Nigel; Moradi, Bita; Janick, Jamie; Francois, AudinOur project intends to transform the experiences of teachers of multilingual learners (MLL) through professional development and professional learning communities. Concurrent with our programmatic efforts, we are evaluating changes in confidence and self-efficacy in working with MLLs, teacher knowledge of MLLs' needs, and the implementation of supportive classroom practices for MLLs. Seventy-nine educators were recruited to participate in a randomized wait-list controlled design. In this paper we unpack teacher confidence, support needed, and self-efficacy at the baseline. Our analysis demonstrated that the status quo of MLL professional development for teachers needs significant bolstering. We found that elementary and secondary teachers reported similarly low levels of confidence and self-efficacy, and high levels of support needed, while working with large numbers of MLLs daily. Our project is working towards measuring the multifaceted nature of teacher knowledge and self-efficacy when teaching MLLs and the dynamic nature of using effective classroom practices to support MLLs. Our work echoes the community of researchers and practitioners who are calling for statewide approaches to scaffolding MLLs for success in every lesson of every day.Item Growth across Grades and Common Item Grade Alignment in Vertical Scaling Using the Rasch Model(Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 2024-11-25) Student, Sanford R.; Briggs, Derek C.; Davis, LaurieVertical scales are frequently developed using common item nonequivalent group linking. In this design, one can use upper-grade, lower-grade, or mixed-grade common items to estimate the linking constants that underlie the absolute measurement of growth. Using the Rasch model and a dataset from Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Diagnostic in math in grades 3–7, we demonstrate how grade-to-grade mean differences in mathematics proficiency appear much larger when upper-grade linking items are used instead of lower-grade items, with linkings based on a mixture of items falling in between. We then consider salient properties of the three calibrated scales including invariance of the different sets of common items to student grade and item difficulty reversals. These exploratory analyses suggest that upper-grade common items in vertical scaling are more subject to threats to score comparability across grades, even though these items also tend to imply the most growth.Item Purpose in life moderates the relationship between perceived discrimination and cognitive functioning in midlife and older adults(Aging & Mental Health, 2024-12-05) Farmer, Heather R.; Eze, Jesse; Ambroise, Alexis Z.; Thomas Tobin, Courtney S.; Wroten, Elizabeth; Goldman, Hava; Stokes, Jeffrey E.Objectives Discrimination is associated with worse cognitive outcomes, but research is urgently needed to identify modifiable psychosocial resources that may buffer the impact of discrimination on cognition. Purpose in life is one such resource associated with positive health outcomes. However, it is unclear whether purpose in life may buffer the relationship between discrimination and cognition among older adults. Method We drew a sample of 22,369 adults aged 51 and older in the 2006 to 2020 waves of the nationally-representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Multilevel mixed models assessed whether (1) measures of everyday discrimination and purpose in life and (2) a purpose in life x discrimination interaction term were associated with cognition. Results Discrimination was associated with poorer cognitive functioning, both on its own and when controlling for purpose in life. Likewise, purpose in life was significantly associated with better cognitive functioning, with and without controlling for discrimination. Results also indicated that purpose in life significantly moderated the association between discrimination and cognitive functioning (b = 0.05, p = 0.01). Conclusion Findings underscore the importance of psychosocial resources that may serve as stress-buffering mechanisms and protect older adults’ cognitive health. Future research is needed to clarify the biobehavioral mechanisms that may underlie this association.Item Deriving Models of Change with Interpretable Parameters: Linear Estimation with Nonlinear Inference(Psychometrika, 2025-01-03) McCormick, Ethan M.In modeling change over time, developmental theories often emphasize meaningful quantities like peaks, inflections, timing, and tempo. However, longitudinal analyses typically rely on simple polynomial models that estimate powered terms of time in a linear, additive form which are disconnected from these meaningful quantities. While these linear parameterizations are computationally efficient and produce stable results, the quantities estimated in these models are difficult to directly connect to theoretical hypotheses. To address this disconnect between estimation and theory development, I propose several approaches for linear estimation with nonlinear inference (LENI), a framework that transforms results from stable, easily-estimated linear models into nonlinear estimates which align with theoretical quantities of interest through a set of principled transformation functions. I first outline derivations for the interpretable nonlinear parameters, and transform the results of the corresponding linear model—including fixed and random effects as well as conditional covariates effects —into the results we would have obtained by fitting a nonlinear version of the model. I conclude by summarizing a linearized structural equation model approach which can flexibly accommodate any known nonlinear target function within a linearly-estimable framework. I conclude with recommendations for applied researchers and directions for fruitful future work in this area.Item Why do students choose the option of the Open Syllabus in a conventional university?(Dialogic Pedagogy, 2025-01-14) Matusov, EugeneThe purpose of the presented mixed qualitative-quantitative research is to examine college students’ diverse reasons for choosing the Open Syllabus, which allows students in a conventional university to define their goals for education, curriculum, instruction, assessment, ways of learning, and so on—what traditionally constitutes “Self-Directed Education.” Most of those students articulated their interest in self-education, which consists of self-directed and responsive education.Item Civil Disobedience in Democratic Education(Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 2025-01-15) Matusov, EugeneThe study’s goal was to examine the tension between democratic school governance, requiring its participants to obey school rules, even though they might disagree with those rules, and personal responsibility, requiring the participants to act morally, in accordance with their conscience and their sense of what is right and makes sense for them, regardless of the democratic nature of the imposed school rules. This examination was based on three sources: 1) three Open Symposia with American and Russian democratic educationalists, 2) my review of the existing literature on civil disobedience and democratic education, and 3) my empirical study based on the interviews of participants of an American private democratic school, known as The Circle School, regarding their instances of civil disobedience. The three Open Symposia allowed me to develop a working definition of civil disobedience as a particular principled disobedience. One important finding arising from these Open Symposia was that neither democratic educator could come up with an example of civil disobedience in democratic schools. My literature analysis revealed four types of civil disobedience: instrumental, existential, safeguarding, and expedient. The participants of my interviews in a democratic school – current teenage students, staff, and alumni – reported many instances of diverse types of civil disobedience, but primarily existential. Despite a lack of discussions of civil disobedience in the school, I discovered that the democratic school apparently promotes civil disobedience as its unintended curriculum by promoting and supporting students’ authorial agency, aiming at the students deciding what is good for them, and opposing educational paternalism.Item It’s Not Quite Linear for All: Examining Changes in Mathematics Expectancies and Values across Two Years in Elementary School(The Elementary School Journal, 2024-11-18) Karamarkovich, Sarah; Lee, Hye Rin; Rutherford, TeomaraMotivation is known to fluctuate, often declining, over time. Research on how motivation changes across school years is ubiquitous, yet little research examines changes in motivation within one school year. In this study, we model how third- through fifth-grade students’ mathematics motivation (i.e., expectancies and values) changes over two years using six time points (beginning, middle, and end of school years). We compared a model forcing a linear trend to an unstructured model allowing for trends in motivation to take any shape. On average, mathematics expectancy and value both decreased linearly over the two years; however, the unstructured model for expectancy displayed better fit and showed more variation, with motivation often peaking at the beginning of the school year and dipping lowest in the middle. This mid-year dip offers insights into contextual forces that may influence student motivation and provides information that can be used in structuring motivation-supporting interventions.Item Investigating Student Noticing of Quantitative Reasoning in Introductory Biology Labs(CBE-Life Sciences Education, 2025-01-15) Hsu, Jeremy L.; Gartland, Sara; Prate, Joelle; Hohensee, CharlesQuantitative reasoning (QR) is a key skill for undergraduate biology education. Despite this, many students struggle with QR. Here, we use the theoretical framework of student noticing to investigate why some students struggle with QR in introductory biology labs. Under this framework, what students notice when given new information and data influences how they process this information and connect it with other events to form new conceptions. Students must mentally isolate given features, create mental records of those features, and identify features or objects that they connect to existing knowledge. Identifying these features or objects is thus critical since they form the foundation upon which learning takes place. We conducted observations of groups in introductory biology labs involving QR, which informed follow-up interviews to examine what students notice, the level/relevance of their noticing, and factors that shape student noticing. We find that some students are noticing more perceptual features, often focusing on less relevant trends and features, with others noticing deeper, more relevant patterns that facilitate conceptual sensemaking. In addition, we find multiple factors, including students’ expectations and their attitude toward QR and biology, that shape student noticing. We conclude with implications for instructors and the biology education research community.