• School of Education
• About the Department
• Undergraduate Programs
• Graduate Programs
• Office of Student Services and Credentialing
• Faculty Directory

  • Ball, Jodie
  • Booker, Keonya
  • Brock, Laura
  • Flynn, Susan
  • Gutshall, Anne
  • Hagood, Margaret
  • Hall, Heather
  • Harris, Tiffany
  • Hay, Genevieve
  • Hunter-Doniger, Tracey
  • Jordan, Adam
  • Lanahan, Brian
  • Lavín, Carlos
  • Leopold, Carol
  • Lloyd, Beth
  • McCorkle, William
  • ndunda, mutindi
  • Negreiros, Melissa
  • O'Byrne, Ian
  • Skinner, Emily
  • Swanson, Julie
  • Swart, Katherine
  • Van Sickle, Meta
  • Veal, William
  • Welch, Frances
  • White, Kelley Mayer
• Contact Us

Associate Professor

Address: 86 Wentworth, Office #327; Randolph Hall #310
Phone: 843-953-1987; 843-953-5626
E-mail: bookerkc@cofc.edu

Keonya Booker is an Associate Professor at the College of Charleston teaching courses in Human Growth and Development and Creating Effective Learning Communities. Dr. Booker conducts research on school belongingness, mentoring, and classroom community for students of color. A secondary research track examines the interpersonal effects of mentorship for underrepresented faculty and students.

Education

B.A. in Psychology; College of William and Mary

M.Ed. in School Psychology; College of William and Mary

Ph.D. in Education (Educational Psychology, Measurement, and Evaluation); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Research Interests

African American Adolescent Development

Classroom Community, Sense of School Belonging and Academic Achievement

Effects of Mentorship at the Postsecondary Level

Press and Media

Courses Taught

EDFS 303: Human Growth and Development and the Educational Process (Undergraduate)

EDFS 654: Human Growth and Development (Graduate)

EDEE 407: Creating Learning Environments (Undergraduate)

EDEE 690: Creating Effective Learning Communities (Graduate)

EDFS 450: Classroom and Behavior Management (Undergraduate)

EDFS 550: Classroom and Behavior Management (Graduate)

MTLA 702: Research and Development Project (Graduate)

EDFS 632: Learning, Cognition, and Motivation (Graduate)

Honors and Awards

• Recipient of the 2019 ExCEL Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award for the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance 
• Nominated for 2019 College of Charleston Distinguished Teaching Award 
• Recipient of the Department of Teacher Education Live Oak Award (February 2021)
• Recipient of the Department of Teacher Education Zen Cougar Award (September 2021)
• Nominated for the 2021 ExCEL Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award for the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance 
• Selected as University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gordon Fellowship Recipient

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Articles During Time in Rank at the College of Charleston

Booker, K. (forthcoming, 2023). Mentoring new faculty in post-pandemic academia: Applications and strategies for mentors, administrators, and faculty developers. InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching.  

Booker, K. C. (2022). Preservice teachers and the notion of care: An analysis of classroom management plans. Action in Teacher Education, 44(4), 330-343. https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2022.2096710 

Booker, K. C. (2021). Rules without relationships lead to rebellion: Secondary teachers and school belonging. School Community Journal, 31(1), 65-84.

Reddig, K., Campbell-Whatley, G., Booker, K., & Merriweather, L. (2021). Teacher perceptions of culturally and linguistically diverse students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Insights into Learning Disabilities 18(2), 143-157.

Booker, K. C., & Campbell-Whatley, G.D. (2019). Student perceptions of inclusion at a Historically Black University. The Journal of Negro Education, 88(2), 146-158. 

Booker, K. C. (2018). The high tide raises all ships: Middle school teachers’ perspectives on school belonging in early adolescence. Research in Middle Level Education Online, 41(8), 1-15. doi:10.1080/19404476.2018.1505402

Booker, K. C., & Campbell-Whatley, G.D. (2018). How faculty create learning environments for diversity and inclusion. Insight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, 13, 14-27.

Booker, K. C., & Brevard, E. (2017). Why mentoring matters: African American students and the transition to college. The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal. Retrieved from https://dus.psu.edu/mentor/2017/01/why-mentoring-matters-african-american-students-and-the-transition-to-college/

Booker, K. C., & Lim, J. H. (2016). Belongingness and pedagogy: Engaging African-American girls in middle school mathematics. Youth & Society.doi: 10.1177/0044118X16652757 

Booker, K.C. (2016). Connection and commitment: How sense of belonging and classroom community influence degree persistence for African American undergraduate women. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 28, 218-229. 

Booker, K. C., Merriweather, L., & Campbell-Whatley, G.D. (2016). The effects of diversity training on faculty and students’ classroom experiences. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 10, 1-9.

Booker, K. C., & Campbell-Whatley, G. D. (2015). A study of multicultural course change: An analysis of syllabi and classroom dynamics. Journal of Research in Education, 25, 20-34. 

Book Chapters During Time in Rank at the College of Charleston

Booker, K. C. (forthcoming). Meaningful mentoring: The importance of professional advocacy through informal networks of support. In Clarke, K. (Ed.) Self-Care and stress management for academic well-being. IGI Global.

Booker, K. C., Howard, C., A., & James, A. L. (2020). College of Charleston and student success data. In N. Li & C. A. Howard (Eds). A research perspective:  Preparing pre-service teachers for academic success across South Carolina (pp. 87-110). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.

Booker, K. C., & Campbell-Whatley, G.D. (2016). Connecting the dots to educational planning. In G. D. Campbell-Whatley, D. Hancock, & M. Dunaway (Eds.) A school leader’s guide to implementing the common core: Inclusive practices for all students (pp. 21-36).  New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group.

Campbell-Whatley, G.D., Booker, K. C., Butler, B. R., & Robinson, D. (2016). Children in urban centers. In G. D. Campbell-Whatley, D. Hancock, & M. Dunaway (Eds.) A school leader’s guide to implementing the common core: Inclusive practices for all students (pp. 84-100).  New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group.

Presentations During Time in Rank at the College of Charleston

Booker, K. C. (2022, October). Diversity, equity, and inclusion: Methods for faculty engagement and student success. Invited presentation to Kansas City Professional Development Council (KCPDC). Kansas City, MO. 

Booker, K. C. (2022, October). The impact of microaggressions on student sense of belonging and classroom community. Presentation at the International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning: Conference on Innovative Pedagogy in Higher Education. 

Booker, K. C. (2022, May). Maslow and microaggressions: Steps to creating a responsive learning environment for All students. Presentation at the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Conference. Charleston, SC.

Booker, K. C. (2021, October). The “actively absent” student: Strategies for complete course engagement. Presentation at the International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning: Conference on Innovative Pedagogy in Higher Education.

Booker, K. C. (2019, February). Calpulli: Middle grades teachers and the collective classroom community. Paper presented at the Eastern Educational Research Association Annual Conference Meeting, Myrtle Beach, SC.

Booker, K. C. (2018, March). Bullying. Invited Panelist at the National Youth-At-Risk Conference. Savannah, GA.

Booker, K. C. (2018, March). Facilitating children’s social and emotional learning (SEL) in afterschool settings. Presentation at the National Youth-At-Risk Conference. Savannah, GA.

Booker, K. C., & Brevard, Jr., E. (2017, February). Why “mentoring matters”: African-American students and the transition to college. Paper presented at the Eastern Educational Research Association Annual Conference Meeting, Richmond, VA.

Booker, K. C., Vaughns, A., & Rodriguez, S. (2016, December). Promoting inclusive classroom environments: Examining self, building community, and integrating strategies. Invited presentation at the College of Charleston, Office of Institutional Diversity. Charleston, SC.

Booker, K. C. (2016, February). Peer factor: How classroom interactions influence a sense of belonging for African American undergraduate women. Paper presented at the Eastern Educational Research Association Annual Conference Meeting, Hilton Head, SC.

Booker, K. C. (2015, February). Concepts, connections, and constructivism: Mind mapping for pre-service teachers. Presentation at the 7th Annual Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy. Blacksburg, VA.

Booker, K. C. (2014, October). The importance of mastery in children's lives: An exploration of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Presentation at the College of Charleston and National Association of Holmes Scholars Alumni National Diversity Conference. Charleston, SC.