Research interests include enhancing students’ interests and skills in mathematics; the impact and relationships between mathematics competitions, and secondary mathematics curriculum.
Research interests concentrate on inquiry-based science instructional strategies and their use in training pre-service elementary science teachers.
Research focuses on classroom interactions through authentic inquiry science experiences.
- Reform-based curricula, where learning is inquiry-based and instruction is student-centered; learning is maximized when students actively engage in problematic situations that are relevant to real-life experiences, and challenge their conceptual understanding
- Effects of teacher instructional practices on students' attitudes toward mathematics, and subsequent influence on student learning and achievement
Research interests focus on the effective delivery of chemistry and physics concepts and skills to middle school students. A series of manipulative materials for teaching concepts related to atoms have been developed, and further work is needed to (1) improve and extend these materials, and (2) determine whether they are effective in the classroom. Other interests include the development and delivery of demonstrations and laboratory work for middle school students.
Research interests include the paleoecology of Cretaceous dinosaurs in west Texas; the ecological impact of the Arawak civilization at Indian Creek, Antigua; and experimentation with Problem Based Learning in honors science courses.
Clinical interests are focused primarily on the application of pedagogical research for the preparation of science and mathematics majors seeking secondary STEM certification through intensive and frequent field experiences in the UTeach Dallas pre-service program.
Urquhart, Mary
Department Head
Research focuses on the effect of long-term professional development with teachers on reduction of misconceptions of K-12 students.
UTeach Dallas Faculty
Professors Emeritus
Dr. Tom Butts
Dr. Fred Fifer
Dr. Cynthia Ledbetter
Affiliate Faculty
| Name | Department | Contact Information |
| John Burr | Biology | John Burr Associate Professor FN 3.110 972-883-2508 burr@utdallas.edu |
| Matthew J. Goeckner | Mathematics | Matthew Goeckner Professor and Program Head FO 2.610B 972-883-4292 goeckner@utdallas.edu |
| John Hoffman | Physics | John Hoffman Professor ECN 2.908 972-883-2846 jhoffman@utdallas.edu |
| Marc Hairston | Center for Space Sciences | Marc Hairston Research Scientist WTC 2.702 972-883-2826 hairston@utdallas.edu |
| Robert Stern | Geosciences | Robert Stern Research Scientist-Faculty ROC 2.301H 972-883-2442 rjstern@utdallas.edu |
- Updated: February 14, 2013
