Research Interests
Science Discourse
Language is the human beings’ fundamental capacity for acquiring knowledge and skills. Science teaching and learning are communicated through multiple modalities of language use. The language of science in particular is constituted by its own special genres and logic. To enhance science teaching and learning, it is important to understand the language of science and its relevant mechanisms for communicating science.
Science Identity
Most children are like scientists full of curiosity about nature. However, as many research shows, students’ interests in science decrease when they grow older. Eventually, many students choose to turn away from science and not consider science-related careers. How to help students sustain their natural interests in science and discover their potential in science careers are urgent issues in science education.
Partnerships with Scientists
Working with scientists has been suggested as one of productive activities for helping teachers and students engage in science inquiry and understand the social, cultural, societal, and historical dimensions of science enterprise. How to collaborate with scientists effectively has become an important topic to investigate.
Research Lenses
1. Conversation Analysis
• Harvey Sacks, Emanuel Schegloff, Gail Jefferson
2. Cultural and Historical Activity Theory
• Alexei Nikolaevich Leont’ev, Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky, Yrjö Engeström
3. Dialogism
• Mikhail Bakhtin
4. Discursive Psychology
• Jonathan Potter, Derek Edwards, Margaret Wetherell
5. Distributed Cognition
• Edwin Hutchins
6. Ethnomethodology
• Harold Garfinkel
7. Phenomenography
• Ference Marton
8. Situated Cognition
• Jean Lave, Etienne Wenger
9. Systemic Functional Linguistics
• Michael Halliday
Research Projects
✴ Preservice Teachers’ Professional Identity Development in Informal Science Education
✴ Latinas in Computer Science and Engineering: A Qualitative Study Examining Identity and Agency for Resilience and Persistence
✴ Transforming Students’ Partnership with Scientists Through Cogenerative Dialogues