Research Spotlight: Elyse Hambacher
Q & A with Elyse Hambacher, Ph. D., Clinical Associate Professor in the 
School of Teaching & Learning
What research are you currently working on?
My current research focuses on the development of educators’ critical social justice literacy and how teaching for social justice is operationalized in education settings. I am the Principal Investigator of a Spencer Foundation grant that examines how justice-oriented White teachers and administrators in one predominantly White school district engage with concepts of race, anti-racism, and whiteness. Our research team is working on several manuscripts related to this project.
Additionally, I conduct research related to the sociocultural and political contexts in which teaching and learning occur. Another project I’m working focuses on the experiences of educators with self-identified commitments to social justice as they navigate teaching in a state that has recently enacted “divisive concepts” legislation.
What is the broader impact of your research?
My research aims to improve teaching, learning, and teacher preparation in K-12 settings. By strengthening teacher learning across the professional lifespan, we can ensure that students have opportunities to live flourishing lives.
What other research topics are you interested in?
I am also interested in how teachers create communities of success for minoritized students, classroom management, racial disproportionality in school discipline, and features that facilitate online learning.
