Ryan Summers

Dr. Ryan Summers is Assistant Professor of Secondary Science Education in the Department of Teaching, Leadership, & Professional Practice at the University of North Dakota. Dr. Summers completed his Ph.D. at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in science education. Prior to graduate school, Dr. Summers taught high school science, including biology, chemistry, physics, and other offerings in rural and suburban schools in Illinois.

Dr. Summers’ research interests relate to the study of science teaching and learning, with a focus on understanding and promoting students’ appreciation and understanding of science. Specifically, he addresses two main lines of research. The first line of research focuses on student attitudes by examining and understanding key preferences of student engagement with science. Dr. Summers studies the connection between precollege students’ attitudes towards science, their intentions to pursue or engage in science, and their actual behaviors. The second line of research examines the perspectives about the nature of science (NOS) held by students, advanced by teachers, and promoted by instructional materials in precollege settings.