“The classroom, with all its limitations, remains a location of possibility.

bell hooks (1994)

About Me

Jacob Kelley is a PhD student in the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology at Auburn University. His scholarship focuses on understanding the practices that shape postsecondary education. In particular, he explores the ways in which teaching and learning can become more effective, engaging, and equitable. He also investigates how students with marginalized and minoritized identities, including disabled students, international students, first-generation students, and parenting students, navigate postsecondary education.

I currently work in the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at Auburn University as a research assistant who specializes in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

I am a first-generation student from a working-class family in Appalachia.

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  • Lived Experiences of Resilience Among Asian International Students During COVID-19

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the lived experiences of resilience among Asian international students at a research university in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. It used interpretative phenomenological analysis to make sense of how the participants make sense of their lived experiences. It calls on institutions to develop environments that enable all students to flourish despite adversity.

  • Interconnections of Learning, Social Class, and Parenting in a Community College

    The purpose of this study is to center the voices of parenting students at a community college. In particular, it explores the interconnections of learning, social class, and parenting using social role theory. It draws on secondary data from an institutional survey to understand how parenting students navigate living and learning in multiple––often conflicting––roles and to offer recommendations for ensuring that they have unemcumbered experiences.

  • Visual Representations of Equity and Justice in a Social Foundations of Education Course

    The purpose of this study is to examine how students enrolled in a social foundations of education course represent equity and justice using photo narration. It draws on artifacts––both visual and written––from four sections of the course across two semesters. The photos capture moments, situations, or objects exemplifying the ways in which students’ practice has been informed by concepts from the course.

  • Attitudinal Outcomes of Service Learning Among Pre-Service Teachers

    The purpose of this study is to understand the attitudinal outcomes of service learning among pre-service teachers in a social foundations of education course. It aims to interrogate the ways in which service learning transforms––or reinforces––conceptions about marginalized communities. For the data, it uses reflective writing based on prompts from two points in the semester.

Contact Me

Thanks for visiting my website. Reach out to me if you are interested in learning more about my work. I welcome inquiries about potential collaborations and possible consultations within my areas of expertise.