The Morningside College Applied Research Center has published the first issue of the Journal of Applied and Educational Research, a new online, peer-reviewed publication that showcases graduate student research.

Jairam Christopherson

The Morningside College Applied Research Center has published the first issue of the Journal of Applied and Educational Research, a new online, peer-reviewed publication that showcases graduate student research.

The first issue is available here. Dr. Dharma Jairam, assistant professor of education at Morningside, and Dr. Kim Christopherson, associate professor and educational technologist at Morningside, serve as coeditors of the journal, which is published every winter and summer.

“The journal focuses on publishing the results of scientific inquiry aimed at solving real-world, practical issues,” Jairam said. “Articles will be of interest to professionals working in psychology, nursing, education and other areas.” 

The inaugural issue includes five research articles written by students or recent graduates of the Morningside College Graduate Program in Education. The authors and the titles of their articles are:

  • Jon Markus, middle school science teacher in the Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District in Adel, Iowa, “The Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy on the Self-Reported Test Anxiety in Sixth Grade Students with Test Anxiety.”
  • Vanessa Leavitt, band director at Morning Star Academy in Bettendorf, Iowa, “Effects on Practice Frequency and Efficiency of Teaching Practice Strategies to Band Students.”
  • Sarah Boyer, special education teacher at Taft Middle School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, “The Effects of a Token Reward System on Reading Comprehension.”
  • Mallory Wilson-Anderson, first grade teacher at Johnson Elementary School in Spencer, Iowa, “The Effects of Repeated Reading on Grade-Level Fluency Growth and Proficiency in First Grade.”
  • Julie Flynn, teacher at M.D. Fox Elementary School in Hartford, Conn., “Art Integration in Urban Elementary Schools: Can it Improve Student Learning Outcomes in Other Subject Areas?”