The College of Education is proud to recognize several research award winners that have been named this year. This is one in a series of posts.
Dr. May Jadallah, associate professor in the School of Teaching and Learning, earned the College of Education Outstanding Researcher Award.
This award recognizes faculty members who have been acknowledged nationally or internationally for their research, the quality of their scholarly work, and their contribution to the profession. Those faculty who have received this award may then be nominated for the University-level award.
Jadallah’s research has evolved since she started at Illinois State in 2009. She received this award due to her work on two research projects. One project focuses on digital mapping in the elementary classroom, while the other project examines dynamic classroom interactions. Both areas of research have proved fruitful, resulting in a total of twelve journal articles, two book chapters, at least twelve presentations, multiple workshops, and participation on a National Science Foundation (NSF) review panel as well as serving as an advisory board member for another NSF project.
In her research with digital mapping technology, Jadallah worked with faculty and students from several departments to design a curriculum that uses geographic information systems (GIS) to solve ecological problems infused with social studies themes. This work was funded through a $450,000 NSF grant.
Her focus on classroom interactions has centered around a research-based classroom discussion format called Collaborative Reasoning (CR). CR is a small-group discussion technique designed to hone students’ civil discourse, develop students’ cognitive processes, engage students in complex readings, and increase students’ motivation to learn.
“It is an honor to receive this award. Colleagues in all departments in the College of Education are engaged in outstanding research; I am grateful to have been recognized,” said Jadallah.
For more information about Jadallah’s research, visit her website.
