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As a lifelong learner, I have many research interests and
areas of inquiry.
 | Asian-American children's literature/Multicultural literature - As a writer and
researcher of Asian-American children's literature, I firmly believe
in the importance of producing and consuming these texts. My
dissertation addresses issues of cultural authenticity and bridging
research and practice. I have done several presentations on this
topic. |
| Asian-American women in leadership - In order to change the
status quo, we must recognize inequities and become "women warriors."
In the Spring of 2005, I conducted a qualitative study entitled,
"Asian American Female Leaders in Education: A Case Study of the
Impact of Race and Gender on Career Advancement." I presented my
findings at the DSCE Research Symposium. |
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| Asian-American student populations -
In general, I am interested in studying issues and topics addressing
Asian-American student populations. I am particularly
interested in the impact of the model minority theory, language
loss, inter-ethnic politics, generational differences and ways of
bridging research and practice.
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| Critical literacy -
Power and perspective, as uncovered by critical literacy, are the
tools that enable us to understand why certain groups, like
Asian-Americans, are not represented in children’s literature and
classroom practice.
Critical
literacy also allows for the investigation of the content and
quality of texts by revealing inequities.
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| Recruitment and retention of teachers of color -
Student demographics are changing, becoming more diverse and less
mainstream; yet, the teaching force has not changed. Research
supports the benefits of recruiting and retaining teachers of color;
but, where are they? I am interested in understanding the practical
and social implications and the institutional /policy perspectives
in regard to teacher diversity. |
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| Charter schools -
School choice is a political issue that is not going away any time
soon. Having worked in a charter school, I understand
firsthand the advantages and disadvantages. I think that there
is a lot of potential in the charter school movement; however, there
needs to be more empirical research and more accountability. I
would like to study how and why charter schools fail and succeed. I
have had experience collecting qualitative data on school reform
efforts; as a result, based on my practical experience, the most
important features of any effective school, charter or not, are
quality teachers and strong leaders.
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| Gender equity -
Despite their increasing numbers in the workforce and in leadership,
women still hit glass ceilings. How does the institution of
school reinforce and/or perpetuate disparities between men and
women?
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| Mail-order bride industry -
As part of my research on Asian-American women, I became intrigued
by the mail-order bride industry, which essentially feeds off
negative stereotypes of women. There are social, political and
economical implications, all of which warrant study.
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| Writing instruction -
Interestingly, we require students to know how to write; however,
rarely do students receive effective and explicit writing
instruction. How can we better teach teachers to teach
writing? |
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Affective nature of reading/Aliteracy - Illiteracy
is, of course, a serious problem; however, we know how to teach
reading. There is a large discourse/research community
surrounding effective reading instruction. What we know less
about is how to combat aliteracy, the ability to read but the lack of
motivation to do so.
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Multiple literacies - Students come to school with
multiple kinds of literacies (cultural, technological, etc.);
however, the institution of school only values a certain type.
Do we need to define and/or broaden our concept of literacy in order
to better serve our student populations?
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