college of education
The Department of Educational Studies is committed to creating knowledge through discovery and developing exemplary learning experiences for aspiring teachers, administrators, psychologists, and scholars, while contributing to the welfare and advancement of human society through education with a lens focused on equity, inclusion, and advocacy.
Department of Educational Studies students can pursue several topics in the study of education, including educational foundations, philosophy, higher education, multicultural education, secondary education, and institutional research. Learn more about the programs below.
Dr. Joseph Eisman is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology in the Department of Educational Studies.
Temple University, where I studied under Dr. Avi Kaplan.
Since August 2025
I study the relationships between empathy, emotions, identity, motivation, and creativity in educational settings using complex dynamic systems approaches.
Many overlapping and intersecting experiences! But I came to complex theory while at Teachers College, Columbia University, where I learned that my worldviews aligned with complexity
Watching a cohort of social studies teachers improve upon their discussion facilitation skills over a five-year longitudinal study.
Eisman, J. I., Ani, T., Patterson, T. J., Kaplan, A., Reisman, A., Conrad, J., & del Calvo, A. (2025). Classroom strategies for navigating emotions during controversial discussions. Theory Into Practice, 64(2), 139–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2025.2453355
I want to work with every teacher to co-construct their adaptive teacher empathy actions, beliefs, goals, and self-perceptions, which enable them to employ teacher empathy in the service of their students and support their retention.
Reflect and align your ontological assumptions, methodological approaches, and practical implications.
Grab a coffee and take a walk
Yuxiao Zhang is a fifth-year doctoral candidate studying Educational Psychology & Research Methodology in the Department of Educational Studies.
I am from Yunnan, China. Before starting my PhD program at Purdue, I worked as a Research Assistant in Hong Kong for two years.
My research focuses on developing and applying quantitative methods in educational and psychological research. Recently, my work has centered on integrating text data into psychometric research, using approaches such as topic modeling and deep learning language models (transformer). I am also interested in applying advanced methods, such as cognitive diagnostic models and structural equation modeling, to address substantive questions in education. My interest in text analysis was sparked during my Research Assistantship on a USDOE Javits grant project (PI: Dr. Nielsen Pereira), where I worked with students’ rich open-ended responses.
Yes, before joining Purdue I conducted research at the University of Hong Kong, where I worked on projects related to digital literacy assessment and carried out statistical and psychometric analyses.
In five years, I hope to be working as a psychometrician or research scientist in industry, or serving as a faculty member at a research-intensive university, continuing to advance methodological innovations in educational statistics and measurement.
The world is constantly changing. Stay curious, keep learning, and continuously update our skills to adapt and thrive.
I play table tennis and go hiking.
Christine Kiracofe is the Department Head of Educational Students and a professor in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program, focusing on Higher Education.
Kiracofe’s research focuses on the intersection of Education Law and Finance, with a primary emphasis on school funding litigation. Kiracofe also studies issues related to the Constitutional and Statutory rights of students, teachers, and administrators in public K-12 schools and Colleges/Universities. She is a trained legal mediator and has a professional interest in using mediation and conflict resolution strategies as tools for educational administrators.
Clinical Assistant Professor; Founding Co-Director, CREATE: Center for Research and Equipment for Assistive Technology in Education
