Dr. Noonan is a qualitative researcher who uses both ethnographic methods and interviews to explore and better understand the experiences and dilemmas of learning and leadership, especially related to equity and identity. Here is a selection of current and recent projects.
Exploring the Dynamics of an Anti-Racist Reading Group (2021-present)
Using ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews to document and analyze the content and dilemmas emerging from an"anti-racist reading group" in a rapidly diversifying community.
The Developmental Demands of Leadership (2021-present)
A longitudinal study to document and analyze the sense-making of aspiring school leaders and changes in developmental capacity over the course of a leadership preparation program. (with Jacy Ippolito and Megin Charner-Laird, Salem State University)
Understanding Efforts to Increase Teacher Diversity (2016-present)
Investigating the hiring policies and practices of a small ethnoracially diverse district using semi-structured interviews with a cross-section of district and school stakeholders. (with Travis J. Bristol, University of California Berkeley)
Beyond Test Scores: The Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment (2017-2020)
Drawing on a dataset of student and teacher surveys across eight school districts, exploring the school- and district-level factors affecting school quality. (with Jack Schneider, University of Massachusetts Amherst)
Teachers Learning: Experiences of Powerful Professional Development (2014-2016)
Semi-structured interviews with 25 educators, across five diverse districts, to reconstruct and reflect on experiences of powerful professional learning (doctoral thesis work)