New grant: Spencer Foundation-funded project aims to turn political emotions into classroom assets
A new study by UGA College of Education associate professor H. Jim Garrett aims to determine the emotions middle and high school students feel during political discussions to help understand not only how students weigh facts and sources, but also how students draw a line between their own beliefs and reality.
The study, which is funded by the Spencer Foundation, will focus on classroom discussion among middle and high school students, with the research team taking videos and analyzing the emotions that result. This age group is critical, said Garrett, who teaches social studies education, because it’s a point where students begin to question lessons that they don’t feel apply to their own lives.