Consider joining the Learning, Being, and Doing in Families study!
Who can join us? We want to partner with children (ages 3-5) and at least one caregiver (18 or older) to explore what kids are up to in sheltering families. If you choose to participate in-person, you will need to live in Denton County Texas. However, if you choose to participate online-only, you can live anywhere in the United States.
What is a sheltering family? A family is considered “sheltering” if your household is choosing to stay at home except for essential activity. Families that are sheltering may be doing this because they have an immunocompromised, disabled, elderly or otherwise high-risk member of their household. Your family may also choose to shelter for other reasons. In our study, we’re looking for families that are restricting engagement with anyone outside of their household on a regular basis. We are happy to talk with you about what this means for you!
Who are we? The university-based research team includes a principal investigator (Danielle Keifert, Ph.D.) and two graduate student researchers (Andria Gentry, He Xiao). Dr. Keifert’s research has focused on young kids’ learning in families since 2009 and has helped educators around the globe recognize children’s brilliance and helped establish ways of learning with and from children and families. Dr. Keifert is also a member of the sheltering community and seeks to partner to tell more complex stories about children in the era of COVID. Our team is based in the University of North Texas’ College of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and run by a Learning Scientist (someone who uses multiple research sciences to study learning in the real world).
What are our goals? We want to partner with young children and caregivers to tell stories about the strengths of families in challenging times. So many current narratives about families who are sheltering due to COVID are focused on potential negative impacts. We’re looking for partners to document, interpret, and share about how young kids are learning and thriving in sheltering families.
What would we do in this study? We are seeking sheltering families to help us build child + caregiver + researcher partnerships for a long-term study. The first thing you would need to do is complete a short survey to confirm eligibility. If you are selected, you could then join this research partnership which means children and caregivers will get to ask their own research questions, gather data together, interpret that data, and share their stories with audiences that matter to them including family, friends, teachers, and even researchers across the world!
Will we be compensated if we agree to participate? Yes! Families will be paid $100 every 3 months ($500 over the 15-month project) and focal children will be paid $60 every 3 months ($300 over the 15-month project). Additionally, families can earn $18/hour as consultants for co-research activities up to 72 hours over the project (possible earnings $1296). You are eligible for payments when you participate as co-researchers by asking questions, gathering and interpreting data, and sharing your stories with audiences that matter to you. You can even earn $200 in bonuses for helping present at conferences!
daniellekeifert.com 