Erik J Byker

University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Reading and Elementary Education, Faculty Member

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Dr. Erik Jon Byker is a full professor in the Cato College of Education and in the Honors College at UNC Charlotte. He is the founder of the annual TedXCraverRoad Countdown at UNC Charlotte. He is also the Co-Executive Director of the Global-ready Research and Equitable Education in Teaching (GREET) Center. He is also the faculty advisor for the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Club and the Students for Climate Justice group at UNC Charlotte.

During the 2019-2020 academic year, Erik was UNC Charlotte's Resident Director of International Studies at Kingston University in London, UK. Before joining the faculty at UNC Charlotte in 2014, Erik was an Assistant Professor of Elementary Education at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX. Erik completed Ph.D. in the Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy Program at Michigan State University (MSU) and has a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. His fields of specialization include educational technology, curriculum foundations, global education, and elementary social studies.

From his research studies, Erik developed several well-cited conceptual frameworks including Critical Cosmopolitan Theory (CCT) and Global Telephony Theory. His primary research surrounds the development of global competencies among educators and the meanings and uses of educational technology among elementary school teachers and students. He is particularly interested in how this discourse unfolds in developing nations like India. Over the 2010-2011 academic year, Erik lived in Bangalore, India, and collected dissertation data on how an economic cross-section of Bangalore's elementary schools were using computer technology in their schools.

Other research interests include: cognition and technology, digital storytelling, global competencies, global education, girls education in developing nations, increasing teacher professionalism via web-based tools, motivation, Social Construction of Technology Theory (SCOT), and Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge Theory (TPACK).
Supervisors: Dr. Amita Chudgar, Dr. Punya Mishra, Dr. Suzanne Wilson, and Dr. Anne-Lise Halvorsen, Chair
Phone: 704-687-8889
Address: Dr. Erik Jon Byker
Dept. of Reading and Elementary Education
College of Education
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
9201 University City Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28223

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Talks by Erik J Byker

Play Makes the Thing: Culture, Technology, and Kids at TEDxSFA Talk

Papers by Erik J Byker

Engaging in an online odyssey: Globally Networked Learning among undergraduates in Germany and the US

Journal of virtual exchange, Dec 11, 2023

T he purpose of this practice report is to describe a Global Networked Learning (GNL) that unfold... more T he purpose of this practice report is to describe a Global Networked Learning (GNL) that unfolded among a cohort of 54 University students (n=54) in Germany and the United States. There were 28 students from Germany and 26 students from the United States who participated in the international virtual exchange. A GNL is a collaborative, international online approach to help students and instructors from universities around the world to participate in a learning exchange and the creation of knowledge through project-based learning. The GNL project centered around crafting an engaging multimedia presentation about regions called a Global Competency Virtual Odyssey (GCVO). The focus of the GCVO was on regions in Germany and the United States. The GNL project was implemented over a an eight-week period. The students collaborated via four synchronous Zoom sessions with further collaboration happening over WhatsApp. The report describes the features of the GNL project and the collaborative process of creating and presenting the GCVOs. The article could be relevant to readers as it offers an explanation how to implement a GNL project. The report concludes with a discussion of the students' perceptions of creating and presenting their GCVOs as part of the GNL project.

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Examination of Cybersecurity Technologies, Practices, Challenges, and Wish List in K-12 School Districts

Journal of Cybersecurity Education Research and Practice, Jul 2, 2023

With the growth in digital teaching and learning, there has been a sharp rise in the number of cy... more With the growth in digital teaching and learning, there has been a sharp rise in the number of cybersecurity attacks on K-12 school networks. This has demonstrated a need for security technologies and cybersecurity education. This study examined security technologies used, effective security practices, challenges, concerns, and wish list of technology leaders in K-12 settings. Data collected from 23 district websites and from interviews with 12 district technology leaders were analyzed. Top security practices included cloud-based technologies, segregated network/V-LAN, two-factor authentication, limiting access, and use of Clever or Class Link. Top challenges included keeping users informed, lack of buy-in from staff and decision-makers, lack of expertise to implement modern best practices, and cost of resources. Top concerns included possible cyberattacks, leaked student data, and lack of user awareness. Finally, their wish list included technology personnel, access to Clever of Class Link, external system diagnostic checks, professional development for staff, and replacing aging infrastructure. The findings have implications for K-12 administrators, technology leaders, and teachers.

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Democracy and a Quality Education in South Asia: A Conclusion

Springer eBooks, 2024

Case Study 2: Utilizing Memoing as a Reflexive Tool in Participatory Action Research

11 Language for the Heart: Investigating the Linguistic Responsiveness of Study Abroad

Multilingual Matters eBooks, Dec 31, 2022

Examining the Opportunities and Access to Gifted Programs

The purpose of this study was to examine the social and emotional consequences of the inequity of... more The purpose of this study was to examine the social and emotional consequences of the inequity of access to gifted programs in the United States' school system. To complete this study, we used a modified version of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method to conduct a systematic review about the following research questions: What are the social and emotional impacts of gifted programs? What are the positive social and emotional impacts of gifted programs? What are the negative impacts of gifted programs, especially for students who are not in the programs? Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included, as well as peer reviewed scholarly articles relating to consequences of the gifted program. The findings from five research studies included negative social and emotional consequences of gifted programs. Research indicates that there is inequity in Canaan Eident Canaan Eident is a member of the Education Honors Program as a 4th year Elementary Education major with a minor in Children's Literature. She has always had a passion for children and equity-based instruction and her research on the social and emotional consequences of the gifted program solidified this interest. Hoping to pursue a career as a lower elementary teacher after she graduates, Canaan wants to use her research to help work towards more inclusive, fair, and equitable gifted admissions processes.

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Assessing Experience

IGI Global eBooks, Oct 12, 2016

‘I Walk Each Village’

BRILL eBooks, Dec 5, 2019

The bangalore challenge: case studies of the social construction of technology in elementary schools

ProQuest LLC eBooks, 2012

The Study Abroad Diamond

Routledge eBooks, Jul 22, 2021

Examining Technologies Used in K-12 School Districts: A Proposed Framework for Classifying Educational Technologies

Journal of Educational Technology Systems, Feb 12, 2023

Moving from Levels of Inquiry to the Flexible Phases of Inquiry Theory: A Literature Review of Inquiry-Based Teacher Education

DergiPark (Istanbul University), Aug 31, 2021

In this study, we aim to examine the phases of inquiry-based learning and how to best prepare fut... more In this study, we aim to examine the phases of inquiry-based learning and how to best prepare future teachers for inquiry-based teaching. While preservice teachers may leave teacher preparation with an understanding of the tenets of inquiry, their experiences in methods courses and experiences teaching in the field do not adequately prepare them to implement inquiry-based learning in classroom instruction. Part of this problem of practice relates to how the process of inquiry is ill-defined and muddy. We use a literature review methodology to investigate this problem by examining and comparing how teacher candidates are prepared with inquiry-based methods. We used Banchi and Bell's (2008) Levels of Inquiry model as a lens for reporting on different levels of inquiry-based preparation of teacher candidates. This lens was informative, though ultimately too restricting. We found that the types and degrees of inquiry-based teacher preparation vary greatly from context to context. This variation inspired our design of the Flexible Phases of Inquiry model. This model is a framework to support educators' understanding of how the levels of inquiry are not fixed, but rather overlapping and dynamic.

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The Study Abroad Diamond: Examining the Facets of Supporting Student Mobility

China vs. the United States: Comparing what teacher candidates know about each other

The International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, Jun 29, 2016

The purpose of this article is to compare teacher candidates' knowledge and perceptions about Chi... more The purpose of this article is to compare teacher candidates' knowledge and perceptions about China and the United States. Using a survey research design, 91 Chinese teacher candidates and 96 teacher candidates from the United Sates participated. The survey findings indicated that, while both groups of teacher candidates had a basic level of historical and political knowledge about the other country, both teacher candidate groups also had stereotypes of each other's country. In their responses to the comment section and free response questions, however, teacher candidates focused on very different aspects. The Chinese teacher candidates focused more on the United States' political and education system. The United States' teacher candidates focused their responses more on daily life and cultural aspects of China.

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Examining Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Readiness to Use Digital Technologies for Teaching and Learning

Computers in the Schools

Chapter 3 The ASER “Translating Policy into Practice” Toolkit: From Participatory Action Research to Evidence-Based Action

Participatory Action Research and Educational Development, 2017

Participatory action research (PAR) is a useful methodological framework that empowers social act... more Participatory action research (PAR) is a useful methodological framework that empowers social actors to investigate their community context. The PAR framework helps to build the capacity for social change through taking action based on evidence. Evidence-based action is central to the vision of ASER Centre, a non government organization that facilitates the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), one of the largest surveys on educational outcomes in India. This chapter describes and reports on how the ASER tools are utilized by educators and teacher candidates to translate India’s education policy into practice. The chapter examines how the ASER toolkit is used as an instrument for PAR. To do so, the chapter investigates a case study of the uses and perceptions of 62 teacher candidates on the ASER toolkit. The study’s findings reveal how the ASER toolkit helps contextualize teacher preparation through the facilitation of data gathering about and for the communities where teacher candidates are situated.

Moving from Levels of Inquiry to the Flexible Phases of Inquiry Theory: A Literature Review of Inquiry-Based Teacher Education

Journal of Teacher Education and Educators, Aug 31, 2021

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Hoping to Teach Someday? Inquire Within: Examining Inquiry-Based Learning with First-Semester Undergrads

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education, 2017

Using case study method, this study examines the impact of an inquiry-based learning program amon... more Using case study method, this study examines the impact of an inquiry-based learning program among a cohort of first-semester undergraduates (n=104) at a large public university in the southeastern United States who are aspiring to become teachers. The Boyer Commission (1999) asserted that inquiry-based learning should be the foundation of higher education curricula. Even though inquiry pedagogies are emphasized in teacher education, many prospective teacher candidates have limited experience with inquiry as a constructivist practice from their K-12 settings. This study investigates the effects and first-semester undergraduates' perceptions of an inquiry-based learning project. The research is grounded in Knowledge Building Theory (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006), which posits that knowledge building is comprised of three components: 1) inquiry driven questions, 2) epistemic artifacts, and 3) collective spaces for collaboration. The study found that inquiry projects had positive effects on participants' understanding of: the complexity of educational issues; the overall inquiry process; and a future career in teaching. Using Knowledge Building Theory, the findings are discussed and analyzed to posit a conceptual model of the entire inquiry process, called the Inquiry Processing Cycle.

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Social studies education in Argentina: Hacia Una Ciudadania global?

The Journal of Social Studies Research, 2020

The purpose of our article is to investigate and report on a document analysis study of social st... more The purpose of our article is to investigate and report on a document analysis study of social studies education in Argentina. In particular, our focus is on the progression of citizenship education and the inclusion of global perspectives in social studies education within Argentina's elementary schools. Like many other countries in the world, Argentina has followed a growing trend to include global perspectives in their national curricula. We investigate the contours of what this entails for Argentina's elementary schools. We begin the article by situating our purpose in the larger field of global citizenship education. Next, we review the literature and describe Argentina's socio-historical context and report on how that context informs Argentina's education system. We then move to the study's methodology, which is grounded in the following research questions: (1) How is social studies organized in Argentina and how has the purpose of social studies evolved ov...

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