Faculty & Staff - TTE : College of Education, University of Arizona

Department Head:
Bruce Johnson, Ph.D.

Teaching & Teacher Education
College of Education
P.O. Box 210069
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721-0069
Phone: 520-621-7820
E-mail us

Teaching and Teacher Education

Christopher Harris - Assistant Professor

Ph.D. University of Michigan

Research: Study of science teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms, design and research of inquiry-based science curriculum materials, study of the design and design process of learning environments, science learning in informal settings.

Teaching: Science education, Learning and instruction, Learning environments, Cognition and science learning, Theory and research of inquiry-based instruction.

Christopher Harris (Ph.D. University of Michigan) is an Assistant Professor of Science Education at the University of Arizona. His areas of expertise include investigating teaching and learning in inquiry science classrooms, supporting students as they learn scientific inquiry practices, and designing inquiry science curricula and assessments that support teacher learning and serve the needs of diverse science learners. Of central interest is the design of science learning environments that capitalize on innovative technologies and make learning accessible for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities. Much of his research involves practical work in classrooms, in partnership with teachers and students, to create and sustain innovative instruction. He draws from both education and psychology to understand the processes of teaching and learning in science classroom contexts.

Dr. Harris is an alumnus of the Center for Curriculum Materials in Science, an NSF-funded Center for Learning and Teaching, whose mission is to improve the quality and use of curriculum materials for K-12 science teaching and learning. He currently co-leads the Science Education Scholars Program at the University of Arizona, a doctoral program concerned with developing scholars who can contribute in a significant way to solving practical problems facing K-12 science education.

For information on the Doctoral Specialization in Science Education click here.

For information on the Science Education Scholars Program click here.