Penelope Peterson
Encyclopedia
Penelope L. Peterson is an American
educational psychologist
and academic administrator. Peterson was named Dean
of Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy
in September 1997 and previously served as University Distinguished Professor of Education at Michigan State University
and Sears-Bascom Professor of Education at University of Wisconsin–Madison
. She also served as president of the American Education Research Association (1996–1997).
Peterson received was one of the first females to receive her bachelor's degree in psychology
and philosophy
from Iowa State University
in 1971, and she received a Ph.D. in psychological studies in education from the Stanford University School of Education
in 1976. She remains Eleanor R. Baldwin Professor of Education. Peterson's books include Restructuring in the Classroom: Teaching, Learning, and School Organization (with Richard Elmore and Sarah McCarthey) and Learning from Our Lives: Women, Research, and Autobiography in Education (with Anna Neumann).
Peterson's areas of expertise include (1) learning and teaching in schools and classrooms, particularly in literacy
and mathematics
; (2) student and teacher learning in reform contexts; and (3) relations among educational research, policy and practice.
(AERA) gave Peterson its Raymond B. Cattell Early Award, citing her research into effective teaching and learning. From 1996-1997, Peterson served as AERA President. As president, she led an effort to make educational research more accessible to teachers, administrators, and policy makers. In [years needed], Peterson participated in the United States National Academy of Sciences
Study Panel on the "Science of Learning." The panel's work culminated in production of "How People Learn," a monograph
that integrated research on cognition
, cognitive neuroscience
, learning, and the design of effective educational environments. In addition, Peterson is a fellow of the American Psychological Association
and the American Psychological Society.
, China
with Chicago
Mayor Richard M. Daley, as part of a cultural and business exchange between the Chinese capital and the Second City. The trip included a meeting with China's Minister of Education and visits to a technical junior high school and high school. According to Peterson, the trip led her to consider expanding SESP's international initiatives because of the importance for Northwestern students of connecting with their counterparts abroad,in particular with China
.
In February 2009, Peterson presented research at “The Internationalization of Education Research: How Will It Affect Teacher Education Programs?”, an AERA-sponsored forum. Her participation in the forum reflects the trend toward international studies of teacher preparation and student learning. In particular, the forum will focus on developing a new research organization with an international bent: the World Education Research Association (WERA). The WERA would help globalize education research into important aspects of learning and teaching, including assessment, accountability, studies of memory, and professional development.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educational psychologist
Educational psychologist
An educational psychologist is a psychologist with a Master’s degree in Educational psychology An educational psychologist (many countries use this term to signify those who provide services to students, their teachers, and families while other countries use this term to signify academic training...
and academic administrator. Peterson was named Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy
Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy
Established in 1926, the School of Education and Social Policy or SESP is the smallest of the eight undergraduate and graduate institutions at Northwestern University...
in September 1997 and previously served as University Distinguished Professor of Education at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and Sears-Bascom Professor of Education at University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. She also served as president of the American Education Research Association (1996–1997).
Peterson received was one of the first females to receive her bachelor's degree in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
in 1971, and she received a Ph.D. in psychological studies in education from the Stanford University School of Education
Stanford University School of Education
The Stanford University School of Education , is one of the seven schools of Stanford University. It is the second-oldest school of education in the United States, after NYU...
in 1976. She remains Eleanor R. Baldwin Professor of Education. Peterson's books include Restructuring in the Classroom: Teaching, Learning, and School Organization (with Richard Elmore and Sarah McCarthey) and Learning from Our Lives: Women, Research, and Autobiography in Education (with Anna Neumann).
Peterson's areas of expertise include (1) learning and teaching in schools and classrooms, particularly in literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
; (2) student and teacher learning in reform contexts; and (3) relations among educational research, policy and practice.
Academic Awards and Positions
In 1986, the American Educational Research AssociationAmerican Educational Research Association
The American Educational Research Association, or AERA, was founded in 1916 as a professional organization representing educational researchers in the United States and around the world....
(AERA) gave Peterson its Raymond B. Cattell Early Award, citing her research into effective teaching and learning. From 1996-1997, Peterson served as AERA President. As president, she led an effort to make educational research more accessible to teachers, administrators, and policy makers. In [years needed], Peterson participated in the United States National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
Study Panel on the "Science of Learning." The panel's work culminated in production of "How People Learn," a monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
that integrated research on cognition
Cognition
In science, cognition refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, remembering, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science...
, cognitive neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience is an academic field concerned with the scientific study of biological substrates underlying cognition, with a specific focus on the neural substrates of mental processes. It addresses the questions of how psychological/cognitive functions are produced by the brain...
, learning, and the design of effective educational environments. In addition, Peterson is a fellow of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
and the American Psychological Society.
International Initiatives
From May 13–16, 2009, Peterson traveled to BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
with Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Mayor Richard M. Daley, as part of a cultural and business exchange between the Chinese capital and the Second City. The trip included a meeting with China's Minister of Education and visits to a technical junior high school and high school. According to Peterson, the trip led her to consider expanding SESP's international initiatives because of the importance for Northwestern students of connecting with their counterparts abroad,in particular with China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
In February 2009, Peterson presented research at “The Internationalization of Education Research: How Will It Affect Teacher Education Programs?”, an AERA-sponsored forum. Her participation in the forum reflects the trend toward international studies of teacher preparation and student learning. In particular, the forum will focus on developing a new research organization with an international bent: the World Education Research Association (WERA). The WERA would help globalize education research into important aspects of learning and teaching, including assessment, accountability, studies of memory, and professional development.
Articles
- Peterson, P. (1998, April 1). Why Do Educational Research? Rethinking Our Roles and Identities, Our Texts and Contexts. Educational Researcher, 27(3), 4-10.
- Peterson, P. (1993, September 1). Toward an Understanding of What We Know about School Learning. Review of Educational Research, 63(3), 319-26.
- Peterson, P., & Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects, E. (1991, August 1). Revising Their Thinking: Keisha Coleman and Her Third-Grade Mathematics Class. Elementary Subjects Center Series, No. 49.
- Peterson, P. (1990, September 1). Doing More in the Same Amount of Time: Cathy Swift. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 12(3), 277-96.
- Peterson, P. (1990, September 1). The California Study of Elementary Mathematics. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 12(3), 257-61.
Articles: Co-Authored
- Neumann, A., Pallas, A., & Peterson, P. (2008, January 1). Exploring the Investment: Four Universities' Experiences with the Spencer Foundation's Research Training Grant Program—A Retrospective. Teachers College Record, 110(7), 1477-1503.
- Wilson, S., Peterson, P., & National Education Association, W. (2006, July 1). Theories of Learning and Teaching: What Do They Mean for Educators? Working Paper. National Education Association Research Department.
- Grant, S., Peterson, P., & Shojgreen-Downer, A. (1996, June 1). Learning To Teach Mathematics in the Context of Systemic Reform. American Educational Research Journal, 33(2), 509-41.
- Peterson, P., & Others, A. (1996, March 1). Learning from School Restructuring. American Educational Research Journal, 33(1), 119-53.
- Peterson, P., & Barnes, C. (1996, March 1). Learning Together: The Challenge of Mathematics, Equity, and Leadership. Phi Delta Kappan, 77(7), 485-91.
- Knapp, N., & Peterson, P. (1995, January 1). Teachers' Interpretations of CGI after Four Years: Meanings and Practices. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 26(1), 40-65.
- Peterson, P., Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects, E., & Others, A. (1993, March 1). Elementary Teachers' Reports of Their Goals and Instructional Practices in Six School Subjects. Elementary Subjects Center Series No. 103.
- Knapp, N., Peterson, P., & Michigan State Univ., E. (1993, March 1). Understanding Learners' Understandings. Elementary Subjects Center Series No. 97.
- Knapp, N., Peterson, P., & Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects, E. (1991, August 1). What Does CGI Mean to You? Teachers' Ideas of a Research-Based Intervention Four Years Later. Elementary Subjects Center Series, No. 48.
- Peterson, P., Fennema, E., & Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects, E. (1991, July 1). Mathematics Teaching and Learning: Researching in Well-Defined Mathematical Domains. Proceedings from Michigan State University Conference (East Lansing, Michigan, October 4–8, 1989). Elementary Subjects Center Series, No. 40.
- Peterson, P., Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects, E., & Others, A. (1991, June 1). Profiles of Practice: Elementary School Teachers' Views of Their Mathematics Teaching. Elementary Subjects Center Series, No. 39.
- Peterson, P., & Others, A. (1991, March 1). Using Children's Mathematical Knowledge.
- Peterson, P., & Comeaux, M. (1990, March 1). Evaluating the Systems: Teachers' Perspectives on Teacher Evaluation. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 12(1), 3-24.
Books
- Peterson, P. (1983, November). Social Context of Instruction: Group Organization and Group Processes.
- Peterson, P. ed. Review of Educational Research (Volume 55. Number 4. Winter 1985).
Books: Co-Authored
- Neumann, A., & Peterson, P. (1997, January 1). Learning from Our Lives: Women, Research, and Autobiography in Education.
- Elmore, R., Peterson, P., & McCarthey, S. (1996, January 1). Restructuring in the Classroom: Teaching, Learning, and School Organization.