Conducting Research with a Global Perspective

Stephanie Siddens (PhD ‘99) was standing in the hallway on a break from her Theories of Learning class, one of her first graduate level courses in the College of Education, when she first met Ilonca Hardy (PhD ‘98).

“I was feeling a bit uncertain of how life was going to be in graduate school and I did not know anyone yet,” she said. “Ilonca walked right up to me and introduced herself. We instantly connected as friends.”

Over the next few years the women studied together, took classes together, and gave each other feedback on their research papers. Siddens, who is now a program evaluation specialist for Fairfax (Virginia) County Public Schools, said the fact that Hardy was from Germany enriched their conversations.

“Ilonca’s background added to the diversity of perspectives that were brought to a discussion, whether it was about our research, courses, or friendship,” she said. “People often come to a discussion with certain assumptions about how an educational system, politics, or social interactions should work. When people come to the discussion bringing a diverse perspective and background, it contributes to a much more open, valuable, and critical discussion.”

That concept, which helped build a lasting friendship between Siddens and Hardy, has been an important theme in Hardy’s professional life as well.

Hardy was raised in a small town in Bavaria, a popular tourist area near the Alps known for its cheese and good skiing. She now works at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany’s largest city—home to 3.5 million people she describes as “a little mouthy and moody, but also funny and helpful.”

Scientists from all over the globe—from Portugal to Taiwan—collaborate at the Max Planck Institute.

Hardy’s research examines elementary school children and their understanding of mathematics and science. She has developed several instructional units, including tests, and taught them in a small research lab.

“It is fun to work with children, learn how they see the world, and find ways to promote their understanding,” she said.

Hardy said she’s also enjoyed discussing her work with colleagues from around the world at the institute.

“In our project we have collaborated and had exchanges with scientists from the Netherlands, China, the United States, and Israel,” Hardy said. “There is always a mix of interesting people from different backgrounds and countries.”

Hardy, who is working to become licensed in elementary education, said her experiences studying in Iowa have influenced who she is and how she sees the world.

“I think in order to get a new perspective on your own culture, it is critical to have lived somewhere else, spoken a different language, and really had to plunge into a different culture,” she said.

Still, Michael Schneider, a doctoral student who works with Hardy at the Max Planck Institute, said he doesn’t believe it matters where Hardy grew up or earned her Ph.D.

“It’s only important what kind of person you are,” he said. “Ilonca is a very, very nice person. She is a very good mother and a very good and hardworking researcher at the same time.”

–by Heather McElvain