REU: Advancing InterDisciplinary Education Research in STEM
Are you interested in making discoveries about how students learn Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics (STEM) by joining an interdisciplinary community of STEM education researchers? If so, MTSU is hosting a fully-funded 8-week summer REU from June 6, 2027 – July 31, 2027 during which undergraduates will learn important research skills and conduct studies about STEM education. The summer 2027 session will offer 8 project choices (see project descriptions below). After completing the REU in July, undergraduate researchers will return to MTSU in January to present their research at the Southeastern STEM Education Research Conference (SSERC). If you are a STEM major or pre-service STEM teacher interested in how people learn, this REU is for you.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be US Citizens or Permanent Residents at least 18 years of age who will still be classified as undergraduates in the Fall 2027 semester.
Applicants should either be majoring in a STEM field or enrolled in a STEM teacher preparation program and have a current GPA of 3.0 or higher with at least one semester complete at the undergraduate level not including dual enrollment courses.
We strongly encourage applications from students who may not have research programs at their own schools.
Funding
Participating undergraduate researchers will receive a total stipend of $6,300: $5,600 will be paid in two monthly installments at the end of June ($2800) and the end of July ($2800), and the remaining $700 after attending SSERC. During the 8-week summer session, all travel to and from MTSU will be covered, on-campus housing will be provided, and undergraduates will also receive a $120/week meal allowance. Additionally, all travel, lodging, and dining expenses will be covered for SSERC in January.
Application Materials
The NSF Education and Training Application (ETAP) will be used for application submission
Applicants will need to complete the ETAP registration form with sections for:
Contact Information
Demographic Information
Family Information (optional)
Education and Current Enrollment
In addition, applicants will be asked to provide the following:
Top three project choices
Review the project descriptions below for more information
A current transcript
Can be an unofficial transcript
Personal statement – The personal statement should include a description of why the applicant is interested in the RAIDERS program and how it can support their career aspirations.
It should be no more than one page (single-spaced, Times New Roman, 11 or 12 point font)
All applications completed by January 25, 2027 will be given full consideration. Once applications have been screened by faculty, the faculty will reach out to schedule Zoom interviews with the top applicants to their projects. Applicants will be sent interview questions in advance. Following the Zoom interviews, 10 applicants will be selected to participate in the summer 2027 session. Up to 5 alternates will also be selected. We anticipate these selections will be made by March 12, 2027.
What makes a STEM department a place where people can learn, take risks, collaborate, and grow? And how can faculty recognize what is already working, imagine what could be possible, and help positive change spread?
Advancing the Culture of Teaching in STEM (ACT-STEM) is a five-year, NSF-funded research project studying how STEM departments can cultivate teaching cultures that better support faculty learning and student success. ACT-STEM takes a strength-based approach to change: notice the good, imagine the possible, and help it grow.
During Summer 2027, the REU student will join the ACT-STEM research team as we study culture change across multiple STEM departments (agriculture, aerospace, biology, chemistry, geosciences, mathematics, physics). Our current work focuses on understanding and cultivating a Culture of Growth, an environment where faculty feel connected to colleagues, supported in developing their competence, and empowered to experiment and grow as educators.
The student will help investigate questions such as: How do faculty recognize strengths in their colleagues and departments? What helps them imagine new possibilities for teaching and learning? How do relationships, departmental norms, and faculty leaders help promising ideas and practices spread?
Students from all majors are welcome, and no previous educational research experience is required. This project may be especially appealing to students interested in STEM, education, or organizational change.
Through this experience, the REU student will have opportunities to:
Participate in authentic educational research as part of an NSF-funded project.
Explore theories of motivation, strengths-based development, and organizational change, including Self-Determination Theory, Positive Psychology, and Diffusion of Innovations.
Develop qualitative research skills through analysis of interviews, observations, surveys, or other project data.
Work collaboratively with an interdisciplinary research team and faculty across STEM departments.
Gain insight into how positive ideas and practices spread within organizations.
Develop skills in research communication, with opportunities to contribute to presentations, posters, reports, or manuscripts.
Most importantly, you will become part of a research team working to understand how we can notice the good that already exists in STEM education, imagine what else might be possible, and help those possibilities grow.
Through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program opportunity, students will actively participate in the Leaders in Education Advancing Data Science (LEADS) Master Teaching Fellowship program 2.0. LEADS 2.0 is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) program and is a partnership among MTSU, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the University of Memphis, the Concord Consortium, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), and partner school districts across Tennessee. The project prepares 30 middle grades STEM teachers as Master Teaching Fellows who earn an Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership for Data Literacy, lead school-based Network Improvement Communities with their colleagues, and mentor future teachers through the UT PLAYS Registered Apprenticeship, while generating rigorous evidence on how teacher leadership improves mathematics and data science instruction.
This REU is ideal for undergraduate students interested in education research, artificial intelligence, data science, teacher leadership, or STEM teaching careers. Participants will leave with skills, experiences, and professional networks that prepare them for graduate study or future roles as educators and researchers. Your work will directly support efforts to strengthen middle grades mathematics and data science instruction across Tennessee. By contributing to LEADS, you will help build the evidence base and a replicable program model that can be shared nationally to improve teacher effectiveness, teacher retention, and student achievement.
As an REU participant, you may:
Work closely with faculty mentors, the project team, and a postdoctoral researcher to collect, organize, and analyze data from a statewide randomized controlled study of the LEADS 2.0 program.
Contribute to ongoing studies on teachers’ data science pedagogical content knowledge, leadership and professional identity development, and the use of AI in teaching and coaching.
Participate in summer institutes, cohort meetings, and Network Improvement Community sessions alongside LEADS teachers, giving you both research and practitioner perspectives.
Gain training in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including coding classroom observation and interview data, analyzing survey and assessment results, and using digital research tools.
Co-author presentations or publications and help develop the LEADS program replication package that will be shared with educators and researchers nationwide.
Through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program opportunity, students will actively participate in the Leaders in Education Advancing Data Science (LEADS) Master Teaching Fellowship program 2.0. LEADS 2.0 is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) program and is a partnership among MTSU, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the University of Memphis, the Concord Consortium, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), and partner school districts across Tennessee. The project prepares 30 middle grades STEM teachers as Master Teaching Fellows who earn an Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership for Data Literacy, lead school-based Network Improvement Communities with their colleagues, and mentor future teachers through the UT PLAYS Registered Apprenticeship, while generating rigorous evidence on how teacher leadership improves mathematics and data science instruction.
This REU is ideal for undergraduate students interested in education research, artificial intelligence, data science, teacher leadership, or STEM teaching careers. Participants will leave with skills, experiences, and professional networks that prepare them for graduate study or future roles as educators and researchers. Your work will directly support efforts to strengthen middle grades mathematics and data science instruction across Tennessee. By contributing to LEADS, you will help build the evidence base and a replicable program model that can be shared nationally to improve teacher effectiveness, teacher retention, and student achievement.
As an REU participant, you may:
Work closely with faculty mentors, the project team, and a postdoctoral researcher to collect, organize, and analyze data from a statewide randomized controlled study of the LEADS 2.0 program.
Contribute to ongoing studies on teachers’ data science pedagogical content knowledge, leadership and professional identity development, and the use of AI in teaching and coaching.
Participate in summer institutes, cohort meetings, and Network Improvement Community sessions alongside LEADS teachers, giving you both research and practitioner perspectives.
Gain training in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including coding classroom observation and interview data, analyzing survey and assessment results, and using digital research tools.
Co-author presentations or publications and help develop the LEADS program replication package that will be shared with educators and researchers nationwide.
Despite the prevalence of research supporting best practices in undergraduate STEM instruction, do you wonder why your instructors still rely on outdated lecture methods in their classrooms?
The Supporting Pedagogy Research & Outcomes in Undergraduate Teaching (SPROUT) team studies these issues in various ways including:
STEM graduate students’ beliefs about teaching and how they learn to teach during their academic programs
How STEM faculty adopt and adapt evidence-based instructional methods in their classrooms
As part of the team, you’ll work closely with us to:
Communicate findings to diverse audiences and pursue education research! By joining, you’ll not only gain valuable research experience but also play a role in shaping how the next generation of education researchers are trained.
Design and develop small research projects in support of larger research initiatives
Develop skills in quantitative and qualitative research methods (e.g., interviews, coding, analysis)
Have you ever wondered how research mentorship impacts how one sees themselves in science and how one navigates science career pathways?
Mentorship plays a central role in cultivating a positive training environment where students can integrate who they are with who they want to become in science, also known as science identity development.
During summer 2027, as a REU student, you will join the RiISE (Research in Identity-based Science Education) research team as we explore:
How undergraduate and graduate mentorship relationships impact students’ science identity development and
What makes mentorship relationships effective, transformative and supportive throughout both undergraduate and graduate level research experiences.
Through this experience, you will have opportunities to:
Become familiar with the literature base that explores both undergraduate and graduate level science mentorship as it relates to science identity development
Gain experience with qualitative methods, such as coding interview transcripts
Practice collaborating on a project with a graduate student
Design and develop small research projects in support of larger research initiatives
Develop skills in research communication, with opportunities to contribute to presentations, posters, or manuscripts.
Have you ever wondered why a certain course is required for your degree program? If so, you are not alone. Interviews with undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines has revealed that one reason students leave STEM majors is because their program of study doesn’t “make sense” to them. In this project we will be analyzing syllabi and other curriculum documents across (at least) biology, chemistry, and physics to uncover the mathematics and statistics necessary to learn science. We will also interview faculty in science disciplines to gain their perspective on the mathematical and statistical ideas and skills required for students to be successful learners and practitioners of their scientific discipline.
As an REU participant you will
Read literature on learning across mathematics, statistics, and science disciplines
Learn qualitative analysis techniques, such as document analysis and interview transcript coding
Perform interviews with faculty research subjects
Contribute to writing manuscripts for mathematics, statistics, and/or science education disciplines informing the fields of our findings.
We hope this project will lead to critical revisions of science and mathematics curricula for undergraduate STEM majors.
Are you curious about how students support each other in college science classes and how that support can shape their academic journey? In this project, you’ll explore the role of Learning Assistants (LAs), undergraduate students who return to help in a course they’ve already taken. LAs receive training in teaching strategies and course content, and they work closely with students during class and as peer mentors.
We’re studying how these LA-student interactions help build a sense of community and influence students’ confidence in science, their identity as scientists, and their plans to continue in STEM majors. As a researcher on this project, you’ll work with survey and interview data to uncover how these relationships impact both the students and the LAs themselves.
Student researchers on this project will:
Become familiar with the literature base that explores peer learning and affect, such as science identity development
Gain experience with qualitative methods, such as coding survey responses and interview transcripts
Practice collaborating on a project with a graduate student
Develop research questions appropriate for a short-term research project
Covariational reasoning refers to the cognitive ability to coordinate two varying quantities simultaneously. Although significant research has been conducted on students’ understanding of the function concept, less is known about students’ understanding of function transformations with respect to covariational reasoning. For example, in what ways might students reason about invariance of rigid transformations such as f(x) – 3? How might students understand the mechanism that explains why the function f(x-2) results in a shift of the function to the right rather than to the left? What are productive ways of reasoning about the transformations that stretch or compress graphs, such as f(3x)? Answering questions such as these can support instructors in helping their students reason about function transformations conceptually rather than rely on procedural memorization.
In this project, we will engage in didactical analysis of the function transformation concept as it might be understood through covariational reasoning. In particular, we will develop tasks that support students to make sense of function transformations in meaningful ways rather than memorize symbolic patterns. The student working on this project will work with mentors to accomplish this goal by:
Developing foundational knowledge of the mathematics education literature related to function and function transformations
Making use of the art of conceptual and didactical analysis to deeply understand the concept of function transformations
Developing foundational knowledge for designing rigorous, research-backed curriculum by actively engaging in the creation of a Hypothetical Learning Trajectory (HLT) for the function transformation concept
Understanding the process of scaling up curricula through initial development of a Local Instruction Theory (LIT)
Learning to effectively communicate findings to a broader research and practitioner community in the form of a poster presentation
2026 REU Participant Testimonials
This summer I worked with a group of five researchers including myself, another REU student, a grad student and two faculty advisors. We were working looking at instructor’s responses to questions about teaching and understanding graph transformations. With this data we used grounded theory (which was completely new to me!) to conduct our analysis and find interesting themes. Before this REU I had no idea what Education Research looked like, how it was conducted, or even how qualitative research could give you rigorous results. Throughout this process I learned a lot about what I like and don’t like about research as well as what I might be looking for in future grad schools. By the end of the eight weeks we had completed an entire research project from start to finish with plans to possible submit to other conferences and journals. This program taught me a lot about STEM ED research, but I also encouraged that pursuing a graduate degree in STEM or STEM ED might be for me!
My experience with the RAIDER REU program was great! I did research with ACT-STEM and learned so much about STEM Education and improving departmental culture.
I was fortunate to be a part of the Leaders in Education Advancing Data Science (LEADS) project, which focuses on advancing data science pedagogy and supporting the development of secondary STEM teachers’ leadership identities. Everyone on the LEADS team served as a source of guidance, encouragement, and support. I learned a lot from all the different perspectives within this team.
My experience as a RAIDERS REU participant was amazing. I learned a lot about qualitative research especially since I had no background. It made me want to continue to be part of qualitative research and delve more into that side of research. I learned about the types of data that goes into big projects and the management aspect as well.
I believe a huge part of my experience as an REU student was forming a part of the MSE community here at MTSU. I am thankful to have had numerous opportunities to interact with so many different people from different sides of the STEM ED field, not just within my cohort but with all the post-grads, grad students, faculty, etc. Being surrounded by everyone within this community helped inspire me throughout the summer and even afterwards.
Overall, the REU experience was incredibly rewarding. The program leaders did an excellent job of making the experience accessible, valuable, and enjoyable. I learned so much through the professional development opportunities and from everyone who worked with us throughout the program. This experience has helped me grow both personally and professionally, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of it.
