Dr. O’Dwyer's research contributes to the field through the statistical examination of the ways in which individual and contextual (e.g., school and district) characteristics are associated with student and teacher outcomes, and through the design and application of large-scale studies to explore the effects of educational interventions and policies.

O’Dwyer is the author the textbook, Quantitative Research Methods for the Qualitative Researchers (2014). She has published more than 40 journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports. Most recently, she published: “Development and Application of the Elementary School Science Classroom Environment Scale (ESSCES): Measuring Student Perceptions of Constructivism within the Science Classroom” (Journal of Learning Environment); “Impact of Online Professional Development on Teacher Quality and Student Achievement in Fifth Grade Mathematics (Journal of Research on Technology in Education); “The Effects of Online Teacher Professional Development on Fourth Grade Students’ Knowledge and Practices in English Language Arts” (Journal of Technology and Teacher Education); “The Effects of Online Teacher Professional Development on Seventh Grade Teachers' and Students' Knowledge and Practices in English Language Arts” (Teacher Educator); “Changes in How Students Use and Are Called Homophobic Epithets Over Time: Patterns Predicted by Gender, Bullying, and Victimization Status” (Journal of Educational Psychology).