For me, content is only part of a teacher’s job. Teachers also need to foster beliefs in their students that the world is complex and they can constantly get better at understanding it.
Associate Professor
My areas of expertise include motivation, development, student beliefs, STEM education, and parents’ involvement in education.
Students have many beliefs about what it takes to do well in school. In science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), many students hold beliefs that diminish their motivation towards those subjects. Beliefs like “I am not a math person,” and “Science is just about memorizing facts,” can prevent students from succeeding in these important, complex, and interesting fields.
My research focuses on how educational beliefs develop in students, and what parents and teachers can do to foster motivational beliefs that will help students succeed in their current classroom and beyond.
Learn more about Michael Barger