Faculty

Selcuk R. Sirin

Associate Professor of Applied Psychology

Selcuk R. Sirin

Phone: 212 998 5364
Email:

Dr. Selcuk R. Sirin’s research primarily focuses on the lives of immigrant and minority children and their families and ways to increase professionals' ability to better serve them. Dr. Sirin conducted a major meta-analytical review of research on socioeconomic status and he co-produced the Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Test (REST) and accompanying training program for school professionals. He also served as the Research Coordinator for the Partnership for Teacher Excellence project at NYU in collaboration with New York City School of Education. His most recent research focused on immigrant youth in general, Muslim American children and adolescents in particular. Dr. Sirin's book with Dr. Michelle Fine, entitled "Muslim American Youth: Understanding Hyphenated Identities through Multiple Methods" was published from the NYU Press. He recently co-edited, with Aida Balsano, a special issue of Applied Developmental Science focusing on immigrant Muslim youth in the West. Dr. Selcuk R. Sirin is the recipient of Teaching Excellence Award from Boston College, Young Scholar Award from the Foundation for Child Development for his project on immigrant children, and Review of Research Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA) given in recognition of an outstanding article published in education.

Currently, Dr. Sirin directs the following research projects in his research lab.

New York City Academic and Social Engagement Study (NYCASES) is a three-year longitudinal study of urban youth through high school. The study will identify the degree to which individual, family, and school characteristics predict the changes in educational outcomes of youth throughout their high school years, from 10th grade to 12th grade. The first wave of data were gathered in Spring 2008 semester with a cohort of 517 10th graders. This project is funded by NYU Challenge Grant and the Spencer Foundation.

The Longitudinal Immigrant Families and Teachers Study (LIFTS) is a three-year examination of parent and teacher perceptions of first graders with immigrant parents. The goal of this study is to understand how parent and teacher practices and values  influence their perception of children’s academic achievement and psychological well-being. The first wave of data was gathered during the Spring 2007 with a cohort of 191 first graders. This project is funded by the Foundation for Child Development.

Meta-Analysis of Immigrant Paradox . Why do new immigrants tend to have more positive developmental and educational outcomes than those who are more acculturated to the United States? Dr. Sirin has designed a meta-analysis with Dr. Amy Marks (Suffolk University) to answer this much debated question immigrant paradox. Once completed in the next two years the project will not only provide the first meta-analytic review in the literature, but it will also identify critical moderators of acculturation-outcomes relations such as the role of ethnic origin (e.g., Asian vs. Latino), developmental phase (e.g., early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence and young adulthood), and research methodology (e.g., the type of acculturation measure and outcome measures). This project is funded by Jacobs Foundation.

 


Degrees Held

  • Ph.D. Boston College, 2003
    Applied Developmental & Educational Psychology
  • M.S. University at Albany, SUNY 1998
    Counseling Psychology
  • B.S. Middle East Technical University, 1991
    Turkey Counseling Psychology

Awards

  • 2009 : Scholar Award, Jacobs Foundation
  • 2007 : Griffiths Research Award, Steinhardt School
  • 2006 : Young Scholars Award , Foundation for Child Development
  • 2006 : Review of Research Award, American Educational Research Association
  • 2004 : Research Grant, Society of the Sacred Hearth -- The Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Program
  • 2001 : Teaching Excellence Award, Boston College
  • 2001 : Dissertation Development Award, Boston College

Publications

  • Sirin, S. R., Rogers-Sirin, L. & Collins, B. (2010) A measure of cultural competence as an ethical responsibility: Quick Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Test (Q-REST). Journal of Moral Education, 39(1), 49–64.
  • Sirin, S. R., Ryce, P. & Mir, M. (2009). How teachers’ values affect their evaluation of children of immigrants. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 24(4), 463-473
  • Rogers-Sirin, L. & Sirin, S. R. (2009). Cultural competence as an ethical requirement: Introducing a new educational model. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 2(1), 19-29.
  • Sirin, S. R., Bikmen, N., Mir, M., Zaal, M., Fine, M., & Katsiaficas, D. (2008). Exploring dual identification among Muslim-American emerging adults: A mixed methods study. Journal of Adolescence, 31(2), 259-279.
  • Sirin, S. R. & Fine, M. (2008). Muslim American youth: Understanding hyphenated identities through multiple methods. New York University Press: New York (link)
  • Fine, M. & Sirin, S. R. (2007). Theorizing hyphenated lives: Researching marginalized youth in times of historical and political conflict. Social and Personality Psychology Compass,1(1). 16-38.
  • Balsano, A. & Sirin, S. R. (2007). Comments on the Special Issue. Muslim youth in the West: “Collateral damage” we cannot afford to disregard. Applied Developmental Science, 11(3), 178-183.
  • Sirin, S. R. & Balsano, A. (2007). Introduction to the Special Issue. Pathways to identity and positive development among Muslim youth in the West. Applied Developmental Science, 11(3), 109-111.
  • Sirin, S. R. & Fine, M. (2007). Hyphenated selves: Muslim American youth negotiating their identities across the fault lines of global conflict. Applied Developmental Science, 11(3), 151-163.
  • Kenny, M. & Sirin, S. R. (2006). Parental attachment, self-worth, and depressive symptoms among emerging adults. Journal of Counseling and Development, 84(1), 61-71
  • Hauser-Cram,P. Warfield, M. E., Stadler, J., & Sirin, S. R. (i2006). School environments and the diverging pathways of students living in poverty. In A. C. Huston & M. N. Ripke (Eds.). Developmental Context of Middle Childhood: Bridges to Adolescence and Adulthood. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  • Sirin, S. R. (2005). Socioeconomic status and academic achievement: A Meta-analytic review of research 1990-2000. Review of Educational Research, 75(3), 417-453.
  • Palfrey, J. S. Hauser-Cram, P., Bronson, M. B. Warfield, M. E., Sirin, R. S., & Chan, E. (2005). The Brookline early education project: A 25-year follow-up study of a family-centered early health and development intervention. Pediatrics, 116, 144 - 152.
  • Sirin, S. R. & Rogers-Sirin, L. (2004). Exploring school engagement of middle-class African American adolescents. Youth & Society, 35(3), 293-340
  • Sirin, S. R. & Rogers-Sirin, L. (2005). Components of school engagement among African American adolescents. Applied Developmental Science, 9(1), 5-13.
  • Sirin, S. R., Diemer, M. A. Jackson, L. R., Gonsalves, L, & Howell A. (2004). Future aspirations of urban adolescents: A person-in-context model. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 17(3), 437-459.
  • Sirin, S. R., McCreary, D.R., & Mahalik, J. (2004). Differential reactions to men's and women's gender role transgressions: Perceptions of social status, sexual orientation, and value dissimilarity. Journal of Men's Studies, 12(2), 119-132.
  • Sirin, S. R., Brabeck, M. M., Satiani, A., & Rogers-Sirin, L. (2003). Validation of a measure of ethical sensitivity and examination of the effects of previous multicultural and ethics courses on ethical sensitivity. Ethics & Behavior, 13(3), 221-226.
  • Hauser-Cram, P., Sirin, S. R., & Stipek, D. (2003). When teachers' and parents' values differ: Teachers' ratings of academic competence of low-income kindergarten children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(4), 813-820.
  • Sirin, S. R. (2003). Psychological and contextual factors influencing academic performance among African Americans: A Dialectical Perspective. In B. Marshall (Ed.). In celebration of Black History: GYRO Colloquium Papers (Vol. 7, pp. 186-209). Boston: Boston College.
  • Sirin, S. R., Castle, N. G., & Smyer, M. (2002). Risk factors for physical restraint use in nursing homes: The impact of the Nursing Home Reform Act. Research on Aging, 24(5), 513-527.
  • Blustein, D. L., Chaves, A., Diemer, M., Gallagher, L., Marshall, K., Sirin, S. R., & Bhati, K. (2002). Voices of the forgotten half: The role of social class in the school-to-work transition. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 49(3), 311-323.
  • Palfrey, J., Bronson, M. B., Erickson-Warfield, M. Hauser-Cram, P., & Sirin, S. R. (2002). BEEPers Come of Age: The Brookline Early Education Project Follow-up Study. Final Report to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Chestnut Hill, MA: Boston College.
  • Brabeck, M., Brabeck, K. Costa, M., Henderson, J., McCubbin, L., Rogers, L., Ting, K., Sirin, S., Warner, C., & Weaver, M. (1998). Racial ethical sensitivity Test (REST) scoring manual. Chestnut Hill, MA: Boston College.
  • Sirin, S. (2001). Child rearing styles. In: R. M. Lerner & J. Lerner. (Eds.). Adolescence in America: An Encyclopedia (Vol. 1). Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
  • Sirin, S. (2001). School dropout. In: R. M. Lerner & J. Lerner. (Eds.). Adolescence in America: An Encyclopedia (Vol. 2). Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
  • Sirin. S. & Jackson, L. R. (2001). Examining school engagement of African American adolescents. Report No. UD034238. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service Accession Number: ED 423354).
  • Brabeck, M. M., & Sirin, S. R. (2001). The racial ethical sensitivity test: Computer disk version (REST-CD). Chestnut Hill, MA: Boston College.
  • Blustein, D. L., Iama, L. D., Finkelberg, S. L., Ketterson, T. U., Schaefer, B. M., Schwam, M. L., Sirin, S., & Skau, M. (2001). A Qualitative analysis of career counseling cases: Listening to our clients. The Counseling Psychologist, 29(2), 240-258.
  • Brabeck, M., Rogers, L., Sirin, S., Handerson, J., Ting, K., & Benvenuto, M. (2000). Increasing ethical sensitivity to racial and gender intolerance in schools: Development of the racial ethical sensitivity test (REST). Ethics and Behavior,10(2), 119-137.
  • Sirin, S. R. (in press). Meta analysis. In N. J. Salkind (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Courses

  • APSY-UE 0025 - Research Methods in Applied Psychology I (Undergraduate)
  • APSY-UE 1137 - Research Methods in Applied Psychology II (Undergraduate)
  • APSY-GE 2073 - Research Design and Methodology in Behavioral Science I (Graduate)
  • APSY-GE 2074 - Research Design and Methodology in Behavioral Science II (Graduate)
  • APSY-GE 2222 - Cross-Cultural Research Methods (Graduate) - Data Analysis 
  • Workshops in Applied Psychology I (Spring 2008) - Data Analysis Workshops in Applied Psychology II (Fall 2009)
  • Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Workshops (For Teaching and Learning students)
  • Dean’s Research Travel Colloquium: Identity in Context (Course taught in Turkey)

Research Interests

  • Development in Context
  • Immigrant and Minority Youth Development
  • Psychological Adjustment
  • Political Engagement
  • Meta-analysis
  • Polling and Marketing Research