Dr. Michelle Taylor

Dr. Taylor’s primary research interests include examining contextual and relational influences on young children’s school readiness. Much of her work focuses on the role of adults in young children’s learning and development, with specific emphasis on the quality of interactions between caregivers and children. Additionally, she is involved in the development and evaluation of teacher professional development programming, with a particular interest in the mechanisms that lead to positive changes in caregiver behavior including engagement, reflection, and coaching support. Dr. Taylor is currently working in partnership with the Scottsdale Public Library to examine the effectiveness of several library programs for promoting young children’s school readiness. She is the recipient of a Program Evaluation Grant funded by the Brady Education Foundation to examine the effectiveness of the Books Can…© program, and a Secondary Analyses of Data on Early Care and Education grant funded by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) to examine the professional development experiences of Head Start teachers and related impacts on teacher practice and child outcomes. 

Academic Area:
Child Development and Family Studies

Michelle Taylor - Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

  • Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
  • M.A. in Child Development, California State University, Los Angeles
  • B.A. in Child Development, California State University, Chico

  • Early Care and Education
  • Professional Development
  • Program Evaluation
  • Community-Based Research

Taylor, M., Pratt, M., & Whelan, M. (2021). Exploring the untapped potential of library-university partnerships: A focus on early learning. Public Library Quarterly, 1-18.

Cho, S. H., Taylor, S., Taylor, M., Giffen, R., Rock, C., & Reiboldt, W. (2021). Adapting to the changing needs of Family and Consumer Sciences Students: Instructor perspectives during the pandemic. Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences, 113(3), 8-17.

Taylor, M., Pratt, M. E., Gaias, L. M., van Huisstede, L., & Gal-Szabo, D. E. (2020). Improving parenting to promote school readiness: An evaluation of the Books Can…© public library program. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 8(2), 47-57.  

McLean, L., Abry, T., Taylor, M., & Gaias, L. M. (2020). The Influence of adverse classroom and school experiences on first year teachers’ mental health and career optimism. Teaching and Teacher Education, 87, 102956.  

Taylor, M., Pratt, M. E., & Fabes, R. A. (2019). Public libraries as a context for the study of development. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 23(2), 51-62.

Taylor, M., McLean, L. E., Bryce, C., Abry, T., & Granger, K. (2019). The influence of multiple life stressors during teacher training on burnout and career optimism in the first year of teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 86, 102910.  

McLean, L., Taylor, M., & Jimenez, M. (2019) Career-choice motivations in teacher training as predictors of burnout in the first year of teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 85, 204-214.  

McLean, L., Abry, T., Taylor, M., & Connor, C.M. (2018). Associations among teachers’ depressive symptoms and students’ classroom instructional experiences across third grade. Journal of School Psychology, 69, 154-168.    

Abry, T., Granger, K. L., Bryce, C. I., Taylor, M., Swanson, J., & Bradley, R. H. (2018). First grade classroom-level adversity: Associations with teaching practices, academic skills, and executive functioning. School Psychology Quarterly, 33(4), 547-560.   

Gaias, L. M., Gal, D., Abry, T., Taylor, M., & Granger, K. (2018). Diversity exposure in preschool: Longitudinal implications for cross-race friendships and racial bias. Applied Developmental Psychology, 59, 5-15. 

Gaias, L. M., Jimenez Herrera, M., Abry, T., Granger, K. L., & Taylor, M. (2018). Kindergarten teachers' instructional priorities misalignment and job satisfaction: A mixed methods analysis. Teachers College Record, 121(12).

McLean, L., Abry, T., Taylor, M., Jimenez, M., & Granger, K. (2017). Teachers' mental health and perceptions of school climate across the transition from training to teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 65, 230-240. 

  • CDFS 211: Positive Child Guidance
  • CDFS 405: A Practical Approach to Social Science Research
  • CDFS 411: Child Development Applications: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice