Undergraduate Research Intern - S. SyAt — CSUF - College of Humanities & Social Science

The Undergraduate Research Intern will work closely with a faculty mentor on research projects in educational psychology, with a particular emphasis on family, cultural, and school contexts of children’s development and learning. The intern will contribute to the design, analysis, and interpretation of research using large-scale secondary datasets (e.g., ECLS-K), engage with current empirical literature, and participate in collaborative research discussions. Through guided mentorship, the intern will develop practical research skills, strengthen critical thinking, and gain experience communicating research findings in both written and oral formats. This internship is designed to provide hands-on exposure to the research process and to support students considering graduate study or research-related careers in psychology, education, or related fields.

Learning Outcomes  

By the end of the internship, the student will be able to
1. Apply foundational research methods in educational psychology by contributing to the design, analysis, and interpretation of an empirical research project using large-scale datasets.
2. Critically evaluate psychological research literature, demonstrating the ability to identify research questions, methods, results, and implications within peer-reviewed articles.
3. Develop data literacy and analytic skills, including navigating complex datasets, understanding variable construction, and interpreting statistical output with guidance.
4. Communicate research effectively by presenting findings orally and in writing to an academic audience, using discipline-appropriate language and conventions.
5. Engage in professional research practices, including collaborative discussion, time management, documentation of research activities, and receiving and incorporating faculty feedback.

Training  

To help the student achieve the proposed learning outcomes, I will
1. Provide structured research mentorship, including regular one-on-one meetings to guide the student through research design, data analysis, interpretation of findings, and problem-solving throughout the research process.
2. Model and explicitly teach research skills, such as reading and evaluating empirical articles, navigating large secondary datasets, and interpreting statistical output, using examples drawn from ongoing lab projects.
3. Engage the student in guided practice with feedback, allowing them to independently work on research tasks (e.g., literature review, data analysis, presentation preparation) while receiving timely, formative feedback to support skill development.
4. Facilitate collaborative discussion and reflection, through lab meetings and article discussions that encourage critical thinking, question generation, and integration of theory, methods, and results.
5. Support professional communication and dissemination skills, by coaching the student in preparing written research summaries and oral presentations and providing feedback on clarity, organization, and use of discipline-appropriate conventions.

Tasks/Duties  

The intern will demonstrate the learning outcomes by
• Assisting with the development of an educational psychology research project, including refining research questions, identifying relevant variables, and conducting data analysis using large-scale secondary datasets under faculty supervision.
• Reading and synthesizing peer-reviewed research literature, summarizing key theories, methods, and findings, and discussing implications during lab meetings and written reflections.
• Maintaining a weekly log of research activities and hours that documents tasks completed, progress made, and challenges encountered.
• Participating actively in research meetings and discussions by asking informed questions, contributing to collaborative problem-solving, and offering constructive feedback on peers’ projects.
• Preparing and delivering an oral presentation of research findings that clearly communicates the study’s purpose, methods, results, and implications.
• Producing written research materials (e.g., literature summaries, analytic notes, or project reports) that demonstrate appropriate use of disciplinary language and research conventions.
• Incorporating faculty feedback to revise and refine research analyses, written products, and presentations throughout the internship experience.