Megan Botello

Meg is a doctoral student in Learning Sciences at the University of Delaware. She graduated with a BA in Psychology and Counseling from Nevada State University where she worked as a Mathematics Course Assistant for 2 years and developed her research interests in student math anxiety, beliefs, and learning. 

Meg’s research focuses on math learning and motivation. Committed to promoting mathematical learning and aiding students who struggle with mathematics, she is dedicated to using her research to advance our understanding of enhancing motivation in the classroom and develop effective teaching strategies for success.

Education

• • M.A. Learning Sciences, Education, University of Delaware, 2023
  • B.A., Psychology, Nevada State College, Henderson, NV, 2021
  • Minor, Counseling, Nevada State College, Henderson, NV, 2021
  • A.S., Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT, 2018

Professional Experience

• Instructor of Record for Developmental Psychology, University of Delaware, 2025
• Instructor of Record for Human Development: Grades K-8, University of Delaware, 2025
• Graduate Summer Labor Research, M3 Lab, University of Delaware, 2023-present
• Graduate Research Assistant, Jordan Fractions Lab, School of Education, University of Delaware, 2021–present
• Teaching Assistant for Developmental Psychology, University of Delaware, 2024
• Graduate Student Labor, Rutherford Lab, 2023
• Graduate Student Labor, University of Delaware, with Dr. VanGronigen
• Research Lab Member, Social Psychology Lab, Nevada State College, 2020–2021
• Course Assistant for Elementary Algebra, Academic Success Center, Nevada State College, 2019–2021

Publications

• Botello, M., Rutherford, T., Guba, T.P., Dyson, N., Suchanec, H., Jordan, N. (2025). Teachers’ use of motivational messages while teaching fractions.
• Jansen, A., Botello, M., & Silla, E. M. (2024). Rough draft math as an evolving practice: Incremental changes in mathematics teachers’ thinking and instruction. Educational Sciences.
• Jordan, N. C., Dyson, N., Guba, T. P., Botello, M., Suchanec-Cooper, H., & May, H. (2024). Exploring the impact of a fraction sense intervention in authentic school environments: An initial investigation. 
• Rutherford, T., Botello, M., Lam A., & Schenke, K. (2023). Cross-domain within- and between-students antecedents to help seeking. Psychology in the Schools.
• Jordan, N. C., Devlin, B. L., & Botello, M. (2022). Core foundations of early mathematics: Refining the number sense framework. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 46, 101181.

Presentations

• Guba, T. P., Anisobi, O., Botello, M., Suchaned-Cooper, H., Dyson, N., Jordan, N.C. (2026, July). Computation in context: A comparison of fraction story problems and symbolic arithmetic. [Poster]. Proceedings Submission to CogSci 2025, San Francisco, CA.
• Jansen, A., Acharya, S., Blewitt, B., Botello, M., Silla, E., Barbieri, C., McLean, L. (2025, October). Investigating teachers’ enactments and middle school experiences of rough draft math [Poster]. Annual meeting of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME-NA), State College, PA, United States.
  Botello, M., Dyson, N., Jordan, N. (2025, October). Elevating Engagement: Teachers’ Use of Motivational Messages While Teaching Fractions. [Poster]. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Atlanta, GA.
• Jansen, A. & Botello, M. (2025, October). Using rough draft math as a curricular noticing lens. [Poster]. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Atlanta, GA.
  Dyson, N., Suchanec-Cooper, H., Guba, T.P., Botello, M., Jordan., N. (2025, October). How a racecourse and ruler build knowledge of fractions as numbers in 6th grade students with MLD. [Poster]. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Atlanta, GA.
• Botello, M., Rutherford, T., Jordan, N. (2025, August). Effects of a fraction sense intervention on sixth-grade students’ self-efficacy in mathematics. [Poster]. American Psychological Association, Denver, CO.
• Holzmann, K.J., Botello, M., Guba, T.P., Jordan, N.C., & Corso, L. (2025, April). Subdomains of number sense and mathematical performance of brazilian children: from kindergarten to first grade. [Roundtable]. American Educational Research Association 2025, Denver, CO.
• Botello, M., Rodrigues, A., Ryan, S., Rutherford, T. (2025, April) The role of executive function in math and reading for English learner students. [Roundtable]. American Educational Research Association 2025, Denver, CO.
• Jordan, N.C., Dyson, N., Guba, T. P., Suchanec, H., Botello, M. (2024, September). Evaluating a fraction sense intervention conducted by teachers in 6th grade math support classes. [Paper]. National Council for Teachers of Mathematics. Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois.
• Dyson, N., Jordan, N.C., Guba, T. P., Suchanec, H., Botello, M. (2024, September). A fraction sense intervention grounded in principles from the science of learning for students with mathematical difficulties. [Paper]. Society for Research Effective Education, Baltimore, MD.
• Botello, M., Guba, T. P., Dyson N., Suchanec-Cooper, H., Rutherford, T., & Jordan, N. (2024, June). Assessing the impact of a fraction sense intervention on middle school students’ achievement and motivation. [Paper]. The Mathematical Cognition and Learning Society, Washington D.C.
• Botello, M., Barbieri, C., & McGinn, K.M. (2024, April). Elementary students’ motivation for and attitudes toward mathematics while using example-based instructional tools. [Poster]. American Educational Research Association 2024, Philadelphia, PA.
• Chawla, K., Botello, M., Shingledecker, M., Miller-Cotto, D., Barbieri, C. (2024, April). A meta-analysis exploring the relationship between motivation and executive function. [Lightning Talk]. American Educational Research Association 2024, Philadelphia, PA.
• Guba, T. P., Dyson, N., Botello, M., Suchanec-Cooper, H., Jordan, N.C., & May, H. (2024, March). Fraction nonsense to fraction sense: impact of a fraction sense intervention on 6th grade students with math learning difficulties in an authentic classroom setting. [Poster]. Cognitive Development Society. 2024, Pasadena, CA.
• Dyson, N., Guba, T. P., Botello, M., Suchanec-Cooper, H., & Jordan, N. C. (2024, February). Using principles from the science of learning to develop fraction sense in struggling math students. [Workshop]. Association for Mathematics Teacher Educators. 2024, Orlando, FL.
• Botello, M., Guba, T. P., Dyson N., Suchanec-Cooper, H., Rutherford, T., & Jordan, N. (2024 June). Assessing the impact of a fraction sense intervention on middle school students’ achievement and motivation. The Mathematical Cognition and Learning Society 2024, Washington D.C.
  
• Botello, M., Barbieri, C., & McGinn, K.M. (2024 April). Elementary students’ motivation for and attitudes toward mathematics while using example-based instructional tools. American Educational Research Association 2024, Philadelphia, PA.
  
• Chawla, K., Botello, M., Shingledecker, M., Miller-Cotto, D., Barbieri, C. (2024 April). A meta-analysis exploring the relationship between motivation and executive function. American Educational Research Association 2024, Philadelphia, PA.
  
• Guba, T. P., Dyson, N., Botello, M., Suchaned-Cooper, H., Jordan, N.C., & May, H. (2024 March). Fraction nonsense to fraction sense: impact of a fraction sense intervention on 6th grade students with math learning difficulties in an authentic classroom setting. Poster at the Biennial Meeting of the Cognitive Development Society (CDS) 2024, Pasadena, CA.
  
• Dyson, N., Guba, T. P., Botello, M., Suchanec-Cooper, H., & Jordan, N. C. (2024, February). Using principles from the science of learning to develop fraction sense in struggling math Students. Workshop at Association for Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) 2024, Orlando, FL.