Dr. Scott McDonald

Dr. Scott McDonald is a Professor of Science Education at Penn State and Director of the Krause Innovation Studio in the PSU College of Education. He received his undergraduate degree in Physics, focusing on Astronomy and Astrophysics. He was a high school Physics teacher for six years before returning for a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies and Science Education at the University of Michigan. Dr. McDonald's research focuses on the intersection of teaching and learning of science and science teaching with technology. His work in the Krause Innovation Studio investigates how technology, particularly in the form of learning spaces, can support higher education teaching and learning. In science education, he researches teacher learning, framed as a professional pedagogical vision, of ambitious and equitable science teaching practices. He also is engaged in research in learning progressions in Plate Tectonics and Astronomy as part of his NSF funded Earth and Space Science Partnership and The Geological Models for Explorations of Dynamic Earth (GEODE) project. His work has also been funded by the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Mellon Foundation.

Research Gate

Google Scholar

Researcher ID