Department of Curriculum & Instruction

Dr. Petrosino has received over 15 million dollars in grants from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education and the McDonnel Foundation for Cognitive Studies. His research interests include students understadning of experimentation, engineering education and the development of expertise. He is Co-Founder of the nationally recognized UTeach Program. He is a Learning Scientist and an Associate Professor of Science and Mathematics Education and the Elizabeth G. Gibb Endowed Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin. He received his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University where he was a member of the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (CTGV) for five years. While doing his doctoral work, Petrosino was a NASA Space Grant Fellow funded through the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He was a seven year member of the NSF funded VaNTH ERC and a Principle Investigator of a Department of Education funded  PT³ grant. Petrosino taught secondary science for seven years and is a certified K-12 teacher of science. In addition he was an Assistant Superintendent of Schools for 2 years and was also a secondary school administrator for three years. Dr. Petrosino has published over 25 peer reviewed journal articles, made over 100 national and international conference presentations and has supervised a dozen doctoral dissertations. His articles have appeared in the Journal of Science Education and Technology, The Journal of the Learning Sciences, Mathematical Thinking and Learning, Educational Computing Research, The Journal of Engineering Education, and The American Educational Research Journal.

Ph.D. Vanderbilt University- Education and Human Development

M.A. Columbia University, Teachers College- Educational Administration

Post-Doc University of Wisconsin- Madison - Educational Psychology (WCER)

Walkington, C., Petrosino, A. J., & Sherman, M. (2012). Supporting algebraic reasoning through personalized story scenarios: How situational understanding mediates performance and strategies. Mathematical Thinking and Learning.

Svihla, V., Petrosino, A.J., and Diller, K. R. (2012). Learning to Design: Authenticity, Negotiation and Innovation. International Journal of Engineering Education. Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 1-17.

Petrosino, A. J., Martin, T., Svihla, V. (Eds). (2007). Developing Student Expertise and Community: Lessons from How People Learn: New Directions for Teaching and Learning, No. 108. ISBN: 978-0-7879-9574-4

Petrosino, A.J., Lehrer, R., & Schauble, L. (2003). Structuring error and experimental variation as distribution in the fourth grade. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 5 (2&3), 131-156.

Nathan, M. J. & Petrosino, A. J. (2003). Expert Blind Spot Among Preservice Teachers. American Educational Research Journal. 40(4), 905-928.

Co-PI UTeachEngineering: Training Secondary Teachers to Deliver Design-Based Engineering Instruction (NSF 0831811) MSP $12,000,000

Co-PI Beyond Blackboards: Integrated Methods for STEM Education and Workforce Development (NSF 0833726) ITEST $1,000,000

Project based Instruction, children's experimentation strategies, engineering education, development of expertise, informal learning, problem solving in STEM disciplines, at-risk populations

• Editoral Board- Journal of Science Education and Technology; Journal of Pre-College Engineering
• Faculty Council- The University of Texas at Austin (2012-2014)
• Graduate Studies Committee- STEM Program; Curriculum and Instruction
• Member: Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS); American Educational Research Association (AERA); National Research in Science Teaching Association (NARST).
• Board Member- Hola Dual Language Charter School, Hoboken, NJ