Andrew Elby | UMD College of Education

Science education, especially student & teacher epistemologies.
Physics and engineering education.
Elementary and middle school teacher professional development.

Andy Elby studied Philosophy (M.Phil., University of Cambridge), Physics (M.A., University of California - Berkeley) and Philosophy of Physics (Ph.D., UC Berkeley), before turning to science education. He taught high school physics for several years before coming to the University of Maryland.

Dr. Elby is best known for work with David Hammer on a "resources" based cognitive model of student and teacher epistemologies, and for research and curriculum development aimed at fostering both conceptual and epistemological development in introductory physics students. His more recent work focuses on

connections between epistemologies and identity and emotions,
students' engagement in science practices such as argumentation,
"responsive" science teaching that builds on the substance of students' ideas and reasoning

Other interests include engineering education, disciplinary identities and emotions in STEM, and STEM cultures.

Spencer Foundation, Mid-Career Fellowship, 2016-17.

Journal of the Learning Sciences Reviewer of the Year Recognition, 2023.
Faculty Mentoring award, College of Education, University of Maryland, 2018
Spencer Foundation Mid-Career Fellowship, 2016
Graduate Faculty Mentor of the Year Award, University of Maryland, 2012.
Outstanding Reviewer (referee) award, AERA & AERJ (American Educational Research Journal – Teaching, Learning, and Human Development), 2011
Outstanding Referee Award, American Physical Society, 2009.

Please see my Google Scholar page or ResearchGate page.


C-STEM for sustainability: Preparing elementary-school teachers to integrate computer science into linguistically inclusive, transdisciplinary STEM instruction Award Number:2219332; Principal Investigator:Jennifer Radoff; Co-Principal Investigator:Amy Green; Organization:University of Maryland, College Park;NSF Organization:DRL Start Date:09/01/2022; Award Amount:$721,534 An Ethnographic Study of Student Use of Online Resources to Improve Student Learning Outcomes Award Number:2142461; Principal Investigator:Erin Sohr; Co-Principal Investigator:Andrew Elby, Kevin Calabro, Jennifer Radoff; Organization:University of Maryland, College Park;NSF Organization:DUE Start Date:02/01/2022; Award Amount:$598,830 Research: Supporting Ethical Engineering: The role of immersive engineering subcommunities Award Number:1916929; Principal Investigator:Chandra Turpen; Co-Principal Investigator:Andrew Elby, David Tomblin, Chandra Turpen; Organization:University of Maryland, College Park;NSF Organization:EEC Start Date:09/01/2019; Award Amount:$539,011

C-STEM for sustainability: Preparing elementary-school teachers to integrate computer science into linguistically inclusive, transdisciplinary STEM instruction
Award Number:2219332; Principal Investigator:Jennifer Radoff; Co-Principal Investigator:Amy Green; Organization:University of Maryland, College Park;NSF Organization:DRL Start Date:09/01/2022; Award Amount:$721,534

An Ethnographic Study of Student Use of Online Resources to Improve Student Learning Outcomes
Award Number:2142461; Principal Investigator:Erin Sohr; Co-Principal Investigator:Andrew Elby, Kevin Calabro, Jennifer Radoff; Organization:University of Maryland, College Park;NSF Organization:DUE Start Date:02/01/2022; Award Amount:$598,830

Research: Supporting Ethical Engineering: The role of immersive engineering subcommunities
Award Number:1916929; Principal Investigator:Chandra Turpen; Co-Principal Investigator:Andrew Elby, David Tomblin, Chandra Turpen; Organization:University of Maryland, College Park;NSF Organization:EEC Start Date:09/01/2019; Award Amount:$539,011

TLPL 621: Learning and Teaching in the Physical Sciences. Outreach course for local K-8 teachers.