Iyanuoluwa Olalowo, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies and a graduate assistant at the Child Development Center, was awarded the doctoral research grant by the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) at the 2025 NAEYC/NAECTE conference in Orlando, Florida.
The NAECTE Foundation Doctoral Research Grant is awarded to support data collection for recipients completing a dissertation and conducting research with implications for early childhood teacher ucation, or early childhood professional development.
Olalowo's research focuses on using CHAT GPT to analyze what constitutes quality professional development for PreK-5 teachers in the United States. His work draws on his engagement with the Kent State University Child Development Center, where he works as a research assistant, and is involved in designing and evaluating professional development programs for early childhood education teachers across different programs.
The results of his research are expected to provide district goals, professional development standards, and specific insights into what makes for a meaningful professional development experience for teachers, including where cohesion and contradictions may exist.