Sam Pazicni

Our research seeks to advance asset-centered education in chemistry by understanding and building from the knowledge, experiences, ways of reasoning, and other resources that learners and instructors bring to chemistry. We combine deep knowledge of chemistry (its central ideas, practices, representations, and disciplinary culture) with theories and methods from the learning and social sciences.

We are particularly interested in:

• Chemistry Learning and Reasoning
  We investigate the resources students use to make sense of chemical phenomena and representations, including conceptual, causal-mechanistic, and visuospatial reasoning. Much of this work draws on knowledge-in-pieces and related perspectives to understand how productive ideas are activated and coordinated across contexts.

• Assessment, Curriculum, and Learning Environment Design
  We study how assessments, instructional materials, and curricula can make students’ thinking visible and create opportunities for meaningful participation in chemistry. This includes work on multidimensional learning, systems thinking, scientific practices, and curricular coherence.

• Participation and Professional Formation in Chemistry
  We examine how learning environments, mentoring, and systems of professional preparation can recognize and build from the resources learners bring while broadening opportunities for participation, disciplinary agency, and continued development in chemistry.