Christopher Harris
Education Researcher
Christopher Harris's research interests include investigating teaching and learning in science classrooms, supporting students as they learn scientific inquiry practices, and designing science curricula and assessments that help teachers engage their students in complex thinking and reasoning. Of central interest is the design and research of science learning environments that capitalize on innovative technologies and make learning accessible for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities. His research often involves practical work in real-world settings such as classrooms and informal science contexts to create and sustain supportive conditions for promoting students' achievement, interest, and motivation in science. A pressing problem facing science education is how to increase access and opportunity for students historically underrepresented in science. Christopher's recent work has focused on how science instructional experiences that connect to the discipline and relate to students’ lives can be a mechanism for learning that can engender a disposition toward science and promote lifelong learning. His publications have addressed science education policy, science assessment, design of learning environments, and authenticity in science education.
Prior to joining SRI, Christopher was an assistant professor of science education at the University of Arizona and co-leader of the Science Education Scholar's Program, a doctoral program concerned with developing scholars who can contribute in a significant way to solving practical problems facing P-12 science education. He completed his graduate work at the University of Michigan, where he conducted design-based research in the Center for Highly Interactive Classrooms, Curricula and Computing in Education. Christopher is also an alumnus of the Center for Curriculum Materials in Science, an NSF-funded Center for Learning and Teaching, whose mission focused on improving the quality and use of curriculum materials for K-12 science teaching and learning. Prior to his career in educational research, Christopher had classroom teaching stints in Honolulu, Hawaii and in Northern California.
Research Areas at CTL
Assessment
Evaluation
Learning Environments
Teacher Learning
Technology Development