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Kevin Nguyen

Associate Professor of STEM Education

Kevin Nguyen
Kevin Nguyen
he/they

Contact

nguyenkevi@sonoma.edu

Office

Carson 34

About

Professor Kevin Nguyen explores how people learn and engage with science and engineering, both inside and outside traditional classrooms.

Their teaching and research focus on STEM education, active learning, and community-based science, with an emphasis on making science learning more engaging and accessible.

Their research includes studying how citizen scientists and whitewater canoeists learn about water quality, as well as examining STEM doctoral student experiences and effective teaching practices in college classrooms.

Through interdisciplinary learning, Professor Nguyen encourages students to connect scientific ideas with everyday experiences and discover how science shapes the world around them.

Academic Interests

  • STEM Education & Learning Sciences
  • Community-Based Science
  • Active Learning in Higher Education
  • Science & Engineering Education
  • Citizen Science & Environmental Learning
  • STEM Doctoral Student Experiences
  • Science and Technology Studies

Selected Publications & Presentations

Science Learning & Community Research

PublicationJournalYear
No Longer an Imaginary Case: Community, Plans, and Situated Actions in Canoeing Rapids (co-author)Journal of the Learning SciencesPublication year to confirm
Border Patrol: Questioning the Citizen in Citizen ScientistNarrative Inquiry in Bioethics2019

Active Learning & STEM Education

PublicationJournalYear
Instructor Strategies for Implementing Active Learning: A Systematic Literature Review (co-author)International Journal of STEM Education2021
Common Characteristics of High-Quality Papers Studying Student Response to Active Learning (co-author)International Journal of Engineering Education2021
Negative Student Response to Active Learning in STEM Classrooms: A Systematic Review of Underlying Reasons (co-author)Journal of College Science Teaching2020
STEM Doctoral Student Agency Regarding Funding (co-author)Studies in Higher Education2019
Reducing Student Resistance to Active Learning: Strategies for Instructors (co-author)Journal of College Science Teaching2018
Strategies to Mitigate Student Resistance to Active Learning (co-author)International Journal of STEM Education2018
Students' Expectations, Types of Instruction, and Instructor Strategies Predicting Student Response to Active Learning (co-author)International Journal of Engineering Education2017

Research Focus

Science Learning Beyond the Classroom

Professor Nguyen's research examines how people develop scientific knowledge through hands-on experiences, community participation, and everyday activities.

Their work explores how informal learning environments and active teaching strategies can make science education more meaningful and engaging for students and communities.