Herinah Asaah (‘26), a Psychology major, conducted research on the effects of exclusionary discipline with mentorship from Dr. Allyson Mackey (Department of Psychology). This research was supported by the College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant. After graduation, Herinah became a Fellow at the Netter Center for Community and Partnerships, working to strengthen youth development, and she plans to apply to law school next fall.
I was drawn to the topic of studying exclusionary discipline because I am interested in promoting children’s wellbeing, especially in schools. Exclusionary discipline is any form of behavioral management in schools that either temporarily or permanently removes students from their educational settings. In my study, I specifically looked at the effects of out-of-school suspension, in-school suspension (detention), and expulsion. I created and administered a survey that measured participants' wellbeing and their experience of discipline. My main finding was that exclusionary discipline is most associated with decreased connectedness, a pillar of adolescent wellbeing.
This past semester, I studied juvenile justice and youth involvement in the criminal legal system, which gave me further context for this research. I also conducted another independent study research project on the relationship between Penn Police and teenagers in West Philadelphia, was a research assistant for the Crime and Justice Policy Lab where I worked on a Community Violence Reduction Initiative, and I audited a graduate course on the school-to-prison pipeline. Participating in these activities outside of my main research project expanded my knowledge base and made me a better researcher.
The most challenging part of this experience was initially getting it off the ground. I partnered with Collective Climb, a nonprofit organization focused on empowering youth through restorative justice work. Working with a community partner required flexibility on both ends, meaning that there was a lot of coordination required for this project to be successful. I did not anticipate how difficult it can be to balance that coordination, Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements, departmental requirements, and more. It took time to disseminate the survey and schedule a focus group, but once the ball was rolling, things happened fast. In the face of setbacks, I focused on remembering my end goal and adjusted my timeline as needed, ultimately learning that I am more patient than I originally thought.
Through this research experience, I learned more about how to conduct community-engaged research that is mutually beneficial and justice-oriented. This helped me to further clarify my professional goals, and I am interested in working with school districts in the future to reform disciplinary policies so that they better support students, promote well-being, and are less punitive overall.
For me, the most rewarding part was when my participants told me that they enjoyed being a part of this work, and that they liked the questions I asked them. I am proud that I was able to conduct a research project from beginning to end while keeping the needs and concerns of my population of interest at the forefront. In closing, I would absolutely recommend this experience to other students. Doing research is the easiest and most enjoyable way to learn more about a topic while sharpening your writing, reading, and critical thinking skills. It’s almost a disservice to yourself not to do research!
Interested in reading more first-hand accounts about undergraduate research? Check out the other experiences featured on our Student News Page and Social Media!
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