Michael Cassidy

• Computational thinking
• Design-based research
• Mixed methods research
• Teacher professional learning
• STEM education evaluation

Dr. Michael Cassidy has over a decade of experience as an educator and researcher in mathematics and science education.

Michael’s research and evaluation work draws on professional experiences as a teacher and teacher educator in the Southeast. His current work focuses on computational thinking, engineering education, robotics, and evaluation of mathematics and science intervention programs. Before joining SEEC at TERC, Michael was a middle and elementary school science and English language arts teacher in Title I schools, an instructor of pre-service middle grades teachers, and a supervisor of student teachers in urban and rural field placements. He is especially interested in teachers’ perspectives about their professional learning, the impact of STEM educational programs on learning opportunities, particularly for members of underrepresented groups, and application of computational thinking across content areas.

In his spare time, Michael enjoys playing and watching sports. He has also been involved in community service projects.

• Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Practice with an emphasis in Middle Grades Education, University of Georgia

• American Educational Research Association, Learning Sciences
• American Educational Research Association, Science Teaching and Learning
• Psychology of Mathematics Education
• Association for Middle Level Education
• New England Learning Sciences
• National Science Teachers Association
• National Association for Research in Teaching

Puttick, G., Cassidy, M., Tucker-Raymond, E., Troiano, G. M., & Harteveld, C. (2023). “So, we kind of started from scratch, no pun intended”: What can students learn from designing games? Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1–37. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21918

Cassidy, M., Tucker-Raymond, E., & Puttick, G. (forthcoming). Distributing expertise to integrate computational thinking practices. Science Scope.

Stylianou, D., Stroud, R., Cassidy, M., Gardiner, A., Stephens, A., Knuth, E. & Demers, L. (forthcoming). Putting early algebra in the hands of elementary school teachers: Examining fidelity of implementation and its relation to student performance. Journal for the Study of Education and Development/Infancia y Aprendizaje (Special Issue: Early Algebra).

Cassidy, M.P. (2018). The impact of incoherent professional learning during standards-based reform. In S.J. Zepeda (Ed.), Making learning job-embedded: Cases from the field of instructional leadership. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.