Faculty Profiles

• Ed.D. — Science Education, Teacher Education and School Improvment, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2002)
• M.S. — General Science, Central Connecticut State University (1993)
• B.S. — Biological Sciences, minor in Chemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks (1986)

• 2016 – present
  Professor, Science Education and Engineering Education (Courtesy),
  Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• 2002 – present
  Affiliated Faculty, Women’s Studies,
  Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• 2008 – 2016
  Associate Professor, Science Education and Engineering Education (Courtesy),
  Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• 2002 – 2008
  Assistant Professor in Science Education,
  Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• 1998 – 2002
  Graduate Research Assistant, Teaching Assistant, and University Supervisor,
  University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
• 1995 – 1998
  Adjunct Instructor, Depatment of Physical Sciences,
  Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, Connecticut
• 1989 – 1998
  Science Teacher,
  Irving A. Robbins Middle School, Farmington, Connecticut

• U.S. Fulbright Scholar Award, National University of Ireland Galway, 2021-2022
• Dean’s Award for Outstanding Faculty Scholarship, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Purdue University, 2021
• Distinguished Award for Innovative College Science Teaching, Hoosier Science Teachers Association, 2020
• Leading Light Award for Outstanding Educator in Science, Technology or Engineering, The Women and Hi Tech of Central Indiana (2014)
• Inaugural Christian J. Foster Award for Contributions to K-12 STEM Education in the State of Indiana, Board of Trustees of Purdue University (2014)
• Seed for Success Award, Purdue University (2012, 2011, 2010, 2009)
• Best Paper Award from Graduate Studies Division at the American Society for Engineering Education (2011)
• University Faculty Scholar Award, Purdue University, College of Education, (2010-2015)
• Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Purdue University (2003-2004)

Board of Directors

• Association for Science Teacher Education

Associate Editor

• Journal of Science Teacher Education

Using Principles of Design to Advance Teacher Education (UPDATE) is a multi-year development, implementation and educational research project with the following goals, to: 1) refine, implement and assess the impact of an engineering design-based model for enhancing pre-service elementary science teachers’ understanding of engineering practices; 2) research the impact of this approach on pre-service elementary science teachers’ learning of engineering practices across multiple undergraduates science course; and 3) propagate and assess the model for transferability beyond Purdue University.

See: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1626197&HistoricalAwards=false

Science Learning through Engineering Design (SLED) is a multi-year, large scale NSF-funded Math Science Partnership project. SLED Partners include faculty from the Colleges of Education, Engineering, Science and Technology, Taylor Community School Corporation, Plymouth School Corporation, Lafayette School Corporation, and Tippecanoe School Corporation. The goal of the SLED Math Science Partnership is to increase grade 3-6 student learning of science by developing Indiana’s first integrated, engineering design-based approach to elementary/intermediate school science education. Research activities explore student and teaching learning and partnership development and sustainability.

See: https://stemedhub.org/groups/sled and http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0962840&HistoricalAwards=false

Examining engineering perceptions, aspirations and identity among young girls is a multi-year research study that examines the different ways girls approach, experience, and interact with engineering learning activities and how their learning informs their identity formation in science and engineering.

See: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0734091

• Capobianco, B., Radloff, J., & Clingerman, J. (2021). Facilitating preservice elementary science teachers’ shift from learner to teacher of engineering design-based science teaching. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-021-10193-y
• Capobianco, B., & Radloff, J. (2021). Elementary preservice teachers’ trajectories in learning to teach science ambitiously through engineering design. Research in Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-021-10020-y
• Radhakrishnan, D., Capobianco, B., & DeBoer, J. (2021). Kenyan engineering teachers building reflective practice. Reflective Practice: International and Multidisciplinary Perspectives (22)5, pp. 697-711. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2021.1961126
• Capobianco, B., Radloff, J., & Lehman, J. (2020). Elementary science teachers’ sense-making with learning to implement engineering design and its impact on students’ science achievement. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 32 (1), 39-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2020.1789267
• Capobianco, B.M., Eichinger, D., Rebello, S., Ryu, M., & Radloff, J. (2019). Fostering innovation through collaborative action research on the creation of shared instructional products by university science instructors. Education Action Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2019.1645031
• Radloff, J. D., & Capobianco, B. M. (2019). Investigating elementary teachers’ tensions and mitigating strategies related to integrating engineering design-based science instruction. Research in Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-019-9844-x
• Capobianco, B. M., DeLisi, J., & Radloff, J. (2018). Characterizing elementary teachers’ enactment of high‐leverage practices through engineering design‐based science instruction. Science Education, 102(2), 342-376.
• Capobianco, B., Deemer, E., & Lin, C. (2017). Analyzing predictors of children’s formative engineering identity development. International Journal of Engineering Education, 33(1)A, 44-54.
• Capobianco, B.M., & Riordain, M. N. (2015). Navigating layers of teacher uncertainty among pre-service science and mathematics teachers engaged in action research. Educational Action Research, 23(4),581-598.
• Capobianco, B. M., Yu, H., & French, B. (2015). Effects of engineering design-based science on elementary school science students’ engineering identity development across gender and grade. Research in Science Education, 45(2), 275-292.
• Capobianco, B. M., & Mena, I. (2013). A longitudinal examination of children’s conceptions of an engineer. International Journal of Engineering Education, 29(2), 415-425.
• Capobianco, B. M., French, B., & Diefes-Dux, H. (2012). Engineering identity development among pre-adolescent learners. Journal of Engineering Education, 101(4), 1-22.
• Capobianco, B. M., Diefes-Dux, H., Mena, I., & Weller, J. (2011). What is an Engineer? Implications of elementary school student conceptions for engineering education. Journal of Engineering Education, 100(2), 304-328.
• Capobianco, B. M., & Feldman, A. (2010). Repositioning teacher action research in science teacher education. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 21(8), 909-915.
• Capobianco, B. M. (2007). Science teachers’ attempts at integrating feminist pedagogy through collaborative action research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44(1), 1-32.