1. Research & Initiatives
  2. Research Centers & Labs
  3. Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning
  4. CASTL Research Projects

CASTL Research Projects

CASTL is an interdisciplinary research center working to advance the quality and impact of teaching through scientific study in educational settings from infancy to higher education. Projects at CASTL bring together researchers and practitioners across expertise and age levels.

Our research projects are found within our affiliated labs or organized by age. We invite you to explore these pages to get a glimpse of the current research happening at CASTL.

Elementary & Secondary Projects

Infant, Toddler, Pre-K Projects

CASTL Affiliated Research Labs

  • MOTIVATE
  • Research Lab

Motivate Lab

The Motivate Lab is driven to improve people’s lives through rigorous motivation research and to understand the mindsets that promote learning, growth, and well-being.

  • REAL
  • Research Lab

Research in Education and Learning Lab

The Research in Education and Learning Lab at UVA, directed by Jamie Jirout, focuses on questions related to STEM learning and motivation from a cognitive developmental perspective. 

Visit the Full REAL Lab website.

  • RADR
  • Research Lab

Reading and Academic Development Research Group

The Reading and Academic Development Research Group examines reading and related areas of academic development across different groups of school-age children. Broadly, the research focuses on meeting the diverse instructional needs of students from specific backgrounds by identifying reading and writing difficulties and developing effective instructional approaches. 

  • Research Lab

UVA Social Development Lab

The UVA Social Development Lab, directed by Sara Rimm-Kaufman, addresses pressing questions in education science from an interdisciplinary perspective. Learn more at our full website.

UVA Social Development Lab

  • FOCAL
  • Research Lab

Foundations of Cognitive Learning Lab

The FOCAL Lab studies the cognitive processes that underpin learning throughout the school years. The cognitive foundations that are central to our studies include motivation, executive function and self-regulation, sensorimotor and visuospatial processing, phonological skills, and general knowledge of the world.