April Lynn Luehmann
What was your M.A. and/or Ph.D. specialty at Michigan?
M.S. in Industrial & Operations Engineering (1996) and Science Education (1998)
Ph.D. (Joint) Industrial & Operations Engineering and Science Education (2001)
What is your present position?
My current position is Assistant Professor and Program Chair of Science Education in the Teaching & Curriculum Department of the Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. The University of Rochester is a small but top-ranked Research I university.
What is the title of your dissertation?
Factors affecting secondary science teachers’ appraisal and adoption of technology-rich project-based learning environments
This study examines the perceptions of thirty secondary science teachers as they appraised one innovative, technology-rich, project-based curriculum. Data collected included emergent (implicit) as well as teacher-identified (explicit) factors determined to be influential in teachers’ adoption decisions regarding the Web-Based Inquiry Science Environment. Examination of cluster analyses of the data resulted in five clusters compared on the 26 variables to generate teacher profiles for each cluster. Implications are discussed for teacher practitioners, professional development providers, as well as designers.
What did you learn in the program? Why was the program of value to you?
My graduate work at the School of Education at The University of Michigan gave me access to invaluable resources, personalized support from exceptional mentors and peers, and the opportunity to participate in work that is making a significant impact on the Ann Arbor region (specifically Detroit) and education more generally. Specifically, through my work with the Hi-Ce and Kids as Global Scientists research groups, I was given access to high-needs schools in systematic ways that therefore offered great promise of benefit for the urban teachers and students with whom we worked. Being a part of these projects gave me the chance to be a part of something much bigger than I could ever have dreamed for my graduate work, thus allowing me to contribute to work that was having real impact. Given the rich resources of the university and specifically these two research groups, I was given the opportunity to help develop and critically evaluate cutting-edge, emerging and sophisticated learning technologies. Because of the prestige and reputation of the school, I had the opportunities to work alongside (to support and be supported by) exceptionally bright, talented, insightful and passionate fellow graduate students. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I was given the opportunity to be mentored, in many different aspects of my professional work, by the leading researchers in my field. From these exceptional people I learned foundational understandings of education, skills and approaches to research, ways to foster and maintain critical perspectives, and generally strategies to effectively navigate the system of academia. For these opportunities and especially the people with whom I was privileged to work, I am sincerely grateful.
Prior to coming to the SOE what did you do?
Prior to the SOE at Michigan, I was a secondary math and science teacher for seven years.
