Research

Research Overview

My research on undergraduate STEM education examines a) ways to fostering student learning and success by providing supports directly to students and b) transformational change in undergraduate STEM education.  Work related to the former considers relationships between educational outcomes relative to students’ learning experiences in and across courses, the use of active learning and inclusive practices, and learning assistant support for students during class.  My work related to transformational change considers the involvement of student leaders in contributing to making programmatic, policy, and structural improvements to the undergraduate STEM experience and examines how faculty perspectives and practices change over time.  I work with STEM Education colleagues across higher educational institutions and apply both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques to carry out this work.

 

Recent Grants

Achieving Critical Transformations in Undergraduate Programs in Mathematics (ACT UP Math); Callahan, K. M., Sloop, B., & Christensen, K. National Science Foundation, $174,054, July 2022-June 2025

KSU Inclusive Excellence Initiative, Anderson, M., Reese, S., … & Callahan, K. M. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, $1,000,000, September 2018 - August 2023

USG STEM Initiative, Jackson, P., Epps. A, Reese, S., Bell, M., & Callahan, K. M. University System of Georgia, $281,500, August 2019 - August 2021

SEMINAL: Student Engagement in Mathematics through an Institutional Network for Active Learning, Vandenbussche, J., Westlund, E., Ritter, L., & Callahan, K. M. National Science Foundation. $93,249, January 2018 - December 2020

 

Recent Publications

Callahan, K. M. (2021). Improving teaching and learning: Science and Mathematics Faculty Reflections on Teaching and Learning across Time.  International Journal for Academic Development. DOI: 10.1080/1360144X.2021.2007099

Callahan, K. M., Williams, K.*, & Reese, S. (2020). Student Leaders as Agents of Change. In K. White, A. Beach, N. Finkelstein, C. Henderson, S. Simkins, L. Slakey, M. Stains, G. Weaver, & L. Whitehead (Eds.) Transforming Institutions: Accelerating Systemic Change in Higher Education. (pp. 239-247). Pressbooks. http://openbooks.library.umass.edu/ascnti2020/ 

Vandenbussche, J., Ritter, L., Callahan, K. M., & Westlund, E., (2020). Using Strand Committees to Build Faculty Support for Departmental Change. Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics (PRIMUS) Journal. DOI: 10.1080/10511970.2020.1772916, USA

Smith, W. M., Callahan, K. M., Mingus, T., & Hodge, A. (2020). Improving Freshman-Level Mathematics Courses via Active Learning Mathematics Strategies. In W. G. Martin, B. R. Lawler, A. E. Lischka, and W. M. Smith (Eds.) The Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership: The Power of a Networked Improvement Community to Transform Secondary Mathematics Teacher Preparation. (pp. 143-175). Charlotte, NC, USA.