Kimberly G. Fluet, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Mathematics and Science Education
Office: Tower Building, Suite 4E9-1
3424 S. State St., Chicago, IL 60616
Office Hours:
Phone: 312.567.3670
Fax: 312.567.3659
Email:
fluet@iit.edu
Web:
Expertise
- o Science teacher education, science education, conceptual change learning theory, schema theory, reflective practice, epistemological development, qualitative methodology and data analysis
Education
- Ph.D. Cornell University, 2006
- M.Ed. Florida Atlantic University, 1999
- B.S. Spring Hill College, 1995
Curriculum Vitae
Research & Major Accomplishments
Kimberly G. Fluet received her Ph.D. in Learning, Teaching and Social Policy with a focus on Science Teacher Education from Cornell University (2006); M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Florida Atlantic University (1999); B.S. in Biology with concentrations in Chemistry and Philosophy from Spring Hill College (1995). Dr. Fluet taught high school biology at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dr. Fluet’s experiences as a secondary science teacher continue to strongly influence both her research and teaching.
Dr. Fluet’s current research agenda is drawn from the IIT Physical Science Initiative (IIT PSI) project and the Cornell NOYCE Scholars program. The IIT PSI project has led to research on content course development for elementary and middle school teachers. Theoretical frames for this research are drawn from pedagogical content knowledge development and research into inquiry-based instruction strategies for both teachers and students. Collaborating with the NOYCE Scholars program allows Dr. Fluet to continue her investigation of science and math teacher development from pre-service experiences through student teaching and during the first five years of in-service teaching. Development of reflective abilities as well as the role of evidence in claim-making are theoretical frames influencing this work.
Dr. Fluet's research interests also include investigations of differences between expert and novice science teachers' understanding of how people learn. This research is influenced by conceptual change learning theory and the impact of individual schemas (personal theories) for making sense of learning and teaching science. She is also interested in how both pre-service and in-service science teachers respond to student misconceptions of scientific knowledge, framed by the conceptual change learning theory and teacher development literatures.
Current Projects
- Math and Science Partnership: Illinois Insitute of Technology Physical Science Initiative. Illinois State Board of Education. Co-Principal Investigator: 2007-present.
- Cornell Teacher Education NOYCE Scholars Program, National Science Foundation. Collaborator: 2003-present.
- High School Transformation Project: Project SLICE, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Curriculum Developer: 2006-2007.
- The Habitable Planet: A Systems Approach to Environmental Science, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Science Media Group. Formative Evaluator: 2006.
Awards/Honors
- 2005 Julian and Veta S. Butterworth Doctoral Research Award: Department of Education, Cornell University
- 2004 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University
- 2000: Teacher of The Year Award: Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS)
Patents
Books
Selected Publications
Trumbull, D. J. and Fluet, K.G. (2008), "What can be learned from writing about early field experiences?", Teaching and Teacher Education, 24, 1672–1685
Meyer, D.Z., Fluet, K.G., White, C., and Gatchell, D., (2008) "Designing a Physics Course for Teachers from Scratch", Paper presented at the Association for Science Teacher Education, St. Louis.
Trumbull, D. J. and Fluet, K. G., (2007) "Slow Research Time and Fast Teaching Time: A collaborative self-study of a teacher educator's unexamined assumptions", Studying Teacher Education, 3:2, 207-215.
Fluet, K.G. and Trumbull, D.J., (2007) "Teacher Expertise and Personal Theories of Learning: Master and Novice Teachers" Interpretations of a Constructivist Teaching Episode, Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago.
Trumbull, D.J. and Fluet, K.G., (2007) "Trajectories of thinking in pre-service teachers", Poster presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago.
Storandt B.C., Trumbull D.J., Noethen, K.G., (2005) "Explicating iteration: The documentation of a research team's category development process in a study using grounded theory and a theoretical framework", Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada.
Trumbull, D.J., Storandt, B.C., Noethen, K.G., DePriest, T., Shirk, J., Crawford, B., (2004) "Integrating inquiry: stories of practice and teacher development", Symposium presented at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching Annual Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.
Professional Society Memberships
- National Association for Research in Science Teaching
- Association for Science Teacher Education
- American Educational Research Association
