Agha Sadiq Mirza
2265364
Assignment 1
For assignment 1, go to the college of Ed homepage (https://uh.edu/education/) and hover over the
"About" tab. Then select "Faculty and Staff Directory". Choose "Department/Program Listing". Here, are
the names of COE faculty listed by Department. Scroll through each department: Curriculum &
Instruction, Educational Policy & Leadership, Psychological Health & Learning Sciences, and Asian
American Studies. (*Note that there are some administration departments listed as well. Be sure that you
are looking at faculty professors within one of the above-mentioned research departments.) Click on each
faculty to see their areas of research, and choose one that interests you to complete the assignment. Please
type answers in complete sentences! I also expect thoughtful explanations as to why you are interested in
this researcher’s particular research. (For example, “because I like it” is not an acceptable response.)
Answer the following:
1. Researchers name and highest degree earned:
The researcher’s name is Dr. Celeste Alba, and her highest degree earned is a Ph.D.
2. Research conducted:
The research conducted focuses on emergent literacy in diverse student populations with high poverty
and mobility.
3. Why does this research interest you:
My roots are from Pakistan, where literacy rates are directly correlated with poverty and mobility.
Impoverished communities often lack fundamental literacy skills, and this has long-lasting impacts,
generation after generation of young adults and students who aspire to become leaders. Yet, because of
the lack of literacy, they experience an adverse gap between themselves and those around them. This gap
forces them into an unfortunate norm, where their limited opportunities become an unchallenged reality
that is passed down from one generation to the next. This is why I am deeply interested in this area of
research: I want to better understand and address how literacy, or the lack thereof, shapes lives and
perpetuates cycles of poverty.
4. How do you see this research as helpful to a particular group, or society as a whole:
This research directly targets populations that are most vulnerable, and it highlights the foundations of
literacy in schools during critical stages of development; early youth, when the brain is still growing and
shaping. At this stage, a strong foundation allows children to develop essential skills such as reading,
writing, and language, which are vital to their future success. For example, in Pakistan, even though
English is not the native language, knowing English opens a wide range of opportunities for
underprivileged students, including access to better employment. It also creates pathways to break free
from generations of poverty and helps close the gap between the rich and the poor.
Question Your Answer:
1. What classification of research manipulates, or changes,
the independent variable in order to see its effect on the
dependent variable?
The classification of research that manipulates or changes
the independent variable to observe its effect on the
dependent variable is experimental research.
