Melissa J. Luna, PhD

Dr. Melissa Luna is an associate professor of science education in the School of Education at WVU. Her research is focused broadly on understanding how elementary teachers think, learn, and build knowledge around their science teaching practice and students’ science learning. Specifically, she investigates teacher noticing across the work of teaching science in elementary school contexts. She investigates questions that relate to three aspects of this construct: the practice (What does noticing students’ disciplinary thinking look like in practice?), the knowledge base (What kinds of knowledge do teachers draw on when they notice students’ thinking? What kinds of knowledge do teachers need to notice students’ thinking?), and the learning (How do teachers learn to notice? How can designed teacher learning contexts support teachers’ noticing?).

Dr. Luna was the principal investigator of the project CAREER: Investigating Fifth Grade Teachers' Knowledge of Noticing Appalachian Students' Thinking in Science, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF Grant No. 1552428). Building on an empirical investigation of teacher noticing, the unique outcomes of this project included (1) an empirically grounded model of 5th grade teachers’ knowledge of noticing Appalachian students’ thinking in science, and (2) the design of web-based interactive instructional materials supporting 5th grade teachers’ knowledge construction around noticing Appalachian students’ thinking in science.

At WVU, Dr. Luna primarily teaches courses in the Educational Theory and Practice graduate program, but also occasionally teaches courses as part of preservice science teacher preparation.

Dr. Luna has a BS in Elementary Education from Valparaiso University, an MS in Environmental Education from Lesley University and a PhD in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University. She was an elementary classroom teacher in South Dakota prior to pursuing graduate studies.