Name: Carla M. Zembal-Saul
Title: Department Head (CI); Professor of Education (SCIED)
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Phone: 814-865-0827
Email: czem@psu.edu
Office address: 148 Chambers Building
Directory entry: https://ed.psu.edu/directory/dr-carla-m-zembal-saul
Zembal-Saul is a professor of education in science education and holds the Kahn Endowed Professorship in STEM Education. Her research investigates the development of teaching practices that support K-6 children's participation in authentic scientific discourse and practices. Zembal-Saul has been involved in school-university partnership work for most of her career and her research takes place in this context. The purposeful integration of technology tools has played a central role in her teaching and research. In particular, Zembal-Saul has developed online video-based cases of reform-oriented science teaching, used video analysis tools with preservice and practicing teachers, examined the use of software scaffolds to support meaningful science learning, and implemented electronic teaching portfolios in teacher education. In addition, she has experience serving on the editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching (2001-2004), Science Education (2009-present) and the International Journal of Science Education (1998-present). Zembal-Saul was an elected member of the Executive Board for the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (2007-2010), and she chaired the organization's Publications Advisory Board (2008-2010).