Her research is in the area of collaborative action research, elementary social studies education, and teaching for social responsibility. She is active in the College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA) of the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS); she is the chair of the elementary social studies special interest group. She advocates for the inclusion of social studies curriculum in the elementary grades, and focuses her teaching and research on socially just and responsible education. Prior to completing her doctorate at UNC Chapel Hill, she taught for twelve years in public elementary schools in Charlotte, North Carolina.