Kevin J. Pugh
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. 2000 Michigan State University, in Educational Psychology: Learning and Cognition
B.S. 1994 Brigham Young University, in Psychology
My Area of Interest
I'm interested in making learning transformative. There are so many wonderful ideas that can make the world a more awesome and compelling place to live in! Unfortunately, students rarely apply their learning in their everyday experience. In fact, they rarely think about school ideas outside of class unless they have to for a school assignment. Thus, I contemplate, write about, and investigate transformative experiences, particularly in the field of science education. I study how they develop, why they are so rare, and what can be done to foster them.
Beyond this specific focus, my general interests cover the following areas: Motivation, Science Education, Transfer of Learning, Deweyan Philosophy, and Technology in Education.
My Teaching Philosopy
As you may have guessed, my teaching philosophy centers around the goal of making learning transformative. I work hard to make my teaching relevant to my students' everyday experience and I use activities to encourage them to apply their learning outside the classroom. I also focus intently on helping students achieve deep-level learning and build integrated knowledge structures. In my courses, we often cover less content but go into more depth and focus on application and connection of ideas. In addition, I like to use authentic projects as these support transformative experiences and deep-level, connected learning.
Here are two examples:
- In some classes, I have my students do a Calvin and Hobbs problem-based learning project (Calvin is the problem!). See these projects.
- In another class, I have students do a similar problem-based learning project in which they construct a case study illustrating a particular motivational problem. The students then research this problem and construct a website that presents the case study, describes a motivational theory related to the case study, and analyzes the case study. See these websites.
Finally, I like my classes to be interactive with students presenting, discussing, and debating their ideas and opinions.
My Latest Professional Activity
- Pugh, K. J., & Girod, M. (2007). Science, art and experience: Constructing a science pedagogy from Dewey's aesthetics. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 18. 9-27.
- Pugh, K. J. & Bergin, D. (2006). Motivational Influences on Transfer. Educational Psychologist, 41, 147-160.
- Pugh, K. J., & Bergin, D. (2005). The effect of schooling on students' out-of-school experience. Educational Researcher, 34(9), 15-23.