Thomas James Distinguished Professor in Experiential Learning, School of Education, UNC-CH
Troy Sadler is a professor of science education in the UNC-CH School of Education. Sadler’s research focuses on how learners negotiate complex socio-scientific issues and how these issues may be used as contexts for science learning. He is interested in how issues-based learning experiences can support student learning of science and development of practices essential for full participation in modern societies. He also studies how place-based learning and experiential learning can shape students’ understandings, interest in learning, and identities.
Sadler’s work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Education Sciences, the US Department of Education, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, as well as local foundations and state agencies. He is Co-Editor of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching, one of the world’s leading journals for science education research.
Prior to his work at UNC, Sadler was a science education faculty member at the University of Florida and the University of Missouri and served as the director of a STEM education research center.
Research Projects
The Power of Place for Education: An Exploration of Place-Based Learning in the Galapagos