Summer Internship: Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning

At ACT, Your Work Makes a Difference

Education has power - a power that changes lives forever. It creates opportunities that lift up individuals, their families, and sparks societal change that echoes through generations to come. From our grassroots we have fought the good fight for equity in education, and we remain devoted to helping anyone who struggles to access that power. This is what matters to us and we must do better -- we've never been more sure of our purpose.

ACT team members are part of an organization dedicated to an important mission: Helping people achieve education and workplace success. Advancing the mission internally, by helping team members achieve education and workplace success of their own, is core to our values. ACT values a diverse workplace and is committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable environment in which every team member has an opportunity to grow.

We are seeking a Summer Research Intern with our Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning team

Location: Candidates can be in-person in Iowa City, IA or remote for the 10-week internship.

Duration: The internship is scheduled to run from Monday June 3, 2024 to Friday August 9, 2024, but can be flexible for the right candidate.

For this position, we anticipate offering an hourly rate of $23.00. The position is not incentive nor benefits eligible.

The summer research intern will work with the Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning (SEAL) team members within the Behavior and Skills Measurement group. The SEAL team consists of researchers in personality psychology, social psychology, educational psychology, quantitative psychology, and clinical psychology, and conducts research related to the development and assessment of social and emotional and 21^st century skills. The team supports ACT's Mosaic and WorkKeys products. The mission of ACT's Measurement Research and Development group is to establish ACT's authority as a trusted leader in the field of educational research and to use this expertise and knowledge to increase the efficacy and equity of our products and solutions.

In addition to gaining experience by working with current SEAL team members to create and refine assessments and learning materials, candidates will have the opportunity to design and conduct original research studies. Successful candidates will be matched to research studies in their field of study that matches their research interests. Possible research studies for Summer 2024 include, but are not limited to:

Examining the validity and reliability of assessments of social and emotional skills
• Analyzing data related to SEL and ACT scores of students, including those receiving special education services
• Developing and conducting studies related to content validity of SEL curriculum courses
• Developing and conducting research related to 21^st century skills, such as self-directed learning, critical thinking, and creative thinking
• Refining existing items and assessments of social and emotional skills

What you will be working on:

• Design and execute original research studies examining the validity and efficacy of social and emotional skill assessments
• Design and execute original research studies investigating 21^st century skill constructs
• Data cleaning and analysis
• Write and edit literature reviews
• Report design, creation, and revision
• Running cognitive lab and focus group studies
• Preparing and co-authoring submissions for publication or conference presentations based on research conducted

This could be the job for you if you have (minimum requirements):

• BA in psychology, educational psychology, or related field.
• Must be working toward Ph.D. in educational psychology, personality psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, or related field

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Proficient in Excel and Word
• Proficient in statistical software (SAS or R preferred)
• Excellent writing skills
• Excellent teamwork skills
• Strong people skills
• Strong work ethic
• Knowledge of:
  • Psychological assessment,
  • Social and emotional skills,
  • Psychometrics,
  • Personality theory, or
  • Industrial-organizational psychology

When ACT was founded in 1959, it disrupted the assessment industry with a new approach to helping students better understand their readiness so they could take steps to improve it. By leveraging our expertise and authority in assessment and research, we will again disrupt the industry-helping more people learn, better measure their progress, and improve their navigation through life's transitions.

More than ever before, ACT is fulfilling its mission of helping people achieve education and workplace success. We're doing it by pushing the boundaries of learning innovation through the work of our people, who we call team members because we're all in this together.

We know transformation does not come without challenge. That's why ACT invests in a variety of experiences for team members to strengthen their connections, explore ideas, learn from customers, and celebrate success.

Learn more about working at ACT at act.org!