Undergraduate Research Experiences

I would also like to record my undergraduate research experiences, other than my thesis and SOC 310 project:

Exclusionary School Discipline and Student Races in the US: A Systematic Review

I was an research assistant to Dr. Thomas Drake, School of Education at U-M.

  • Conducted a systematic search of relevant academic articles published between 2013 and 2024 on EBSCOhost with group-decided keywords; collect the datasets used in these articles.
  • Co-led the processes of systematic review: decided to investigate African American students, Hispanic students, and Latino students compared to White students; clarified the definition of exclusionary discipline; led the analysis programming using R.
  • Assisted with organizing regular group meetings, monitoring paper collections, and managing group documents.

Field Observation: Social Workers in Urban Villages in Shenzhen, China

  • Interviewed 10 social workers in Dahe Village, Shenzhen, who are community hired and who work in NGOs; conducted observations on the processes of their services; collected notes of 8,000+ words.
  • Summarized the characteristics of these social workers, the process of their services, their achievements; analyzed the features and strengths of social work in Shenzhen, and the reasons of its high quality.
  • Composed a report on these discoveries and provided suggestions on quality improvements in Nanjing.

Literature Review: “Double Reduction” Policy in China as Part of Its Education Reform

  • Reviewed prior research on “The Guidelines to Further Ease the Burden of Excessive Homework and Off-campus Tutoring for Students undergoing Compulsory Education (Double Reduction)”; read prior studies relevant to distributive justice, relative deprivation, and social mobility.
  • Collected academic comments on Double Reduction policies on the aftermath, including changes in the amount of homework, students’ involvement in shadow-education sessions, students’ examination performances, teachers’ feedback, etc.
  • Summarized possible positive outcomes and potential negative impacts on educational fairness; provided suggestions on future reforms.