Contact Department of STEM Education
Research
The Department of STEM Education and the Center for STEM Teaching and Learning conduct research on many aspects of STEM education. Our research is made possible through collaborations, partnerships, and external funding from sources such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Faculty areas of expertise include:
Christina Baze
Dr. Baze’s research focuses on science and engineering learning, with particular attention to how students engage in collaborative sensemaking, design, and decision-making. Her work examines epistemic agency, equity, and the ways learners evaluate and justify knowledge claims in STEM learning environments.
Theresa Fuller
Dr. Fuller’s research focuses on secondary mathematics teaching and learning, with an emphasis on supporting effective mathematics instruction and teacher development. Her work also examines mathematics anxiety among preservice and inservice teachers and its implications for teaching practice, teacher identity, and student learning.
Ron Gray
Dr. Gray’s research focuses on science teaching and learning, particularly the design and implementation of model-based inquiry (MBI) approaches that engage students in authentic scientific practices. His work examines curriculum design, teacher education, classroom discourse, and modeling in science learning, with recent scholarship exploring the historical sciences, philosophy of science, and asset-based approaches to science education.
Jo’el Johanson
Dr. Johanson’s research focuses on secondary mathematics teaching and learning and the preparation of future mathematics teachers. Her work examines practice-based teacher education, instructional improvement, and the development of equitable learning environments that support students’ mathematical reasoning and participation.
Sam Severance
Dr. Severance’s research focuses on project-based learning, curriculum design, and teacher learning in STEM education. His work explores the integration of making, computational thinking, and computer science into K–12 learning environments, as well as the design of innovative educational experiences that support student engagement and teacher agency.