Whitney, Dr. Delony and fellow education researcher Kaitlyn Howell
Name: Whitney White
Major: Elementary Education
Classification: Senior
Hometown: Trophy Club, TX
Mentor: Dr. Sheila Delony, Teacher Education
What I Study: Dr. Delony and I will be conducting an autoethnographical study to explore teachers’ and parents’ perceptions of positive and negative experiences related to parent-teacher conferences. I will facilitate focus group discussions and Dr. Delony will participate as a member in all focus groups. We seek to answer the following two questions: What explicit and implicit factors foster positive communication between teachers and parents? What explicit and implicit factors inhibit positive communication between teachers and parents?
Why I do research: I research because I am eager to gain more knowledge and experience in my field. Through research I am constantly learning new things, pushing myself to greater heights, and preparing myself for my career. Impactful teachers are lifelong learners. They are the teachers that are always researching so that they can implement new findings into their classrooms. That is the kind of teacher I want to be. There is no better place to start than at ACU with Dr. Delony as my mentor.