We are a multi-disciplinary research laboratory, incorporating cognitive developmental science with various educational disciplines, including science, mathematics, and literacy lead by Dr. Michelle Ellefson. We conduct laboratory experiments that document various developmental constraints of learning disciplinary and non- disciplinary materials. The results from our experiments are used to inspire the development or advancement of theoretical accounts of learning both within and across educational domains. Our classroom studies evaluate whether these theoretical accounts can be applied effectively to classroom instruction. The results of our classroom studies are used to evaluate the effectiveness of our developmental theories, which in turn inspire more classroom interventions, continuing our iterative process of laboratory and classroom based research. 

The Leverhulme Trust has awarded us funding for a 3-year research project Young Children's Reasoning About Chemistry.  We'll be conducting the project in collaboration with Dr Anne Schlottman and Dr Keith Taber. Our research project has been featured in their April 2011 newsletter.

We have been awarded funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, United Department of Education to investigate The Malleability of Executive Control. The project is in collaboration with Dr Zewelangi Serpell and Dr Teresa Parr and will partner with the University of Cambridge's Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies and The Psychometrics Centre.

There are new faces joining our research group -- check them out on the People page.

Interested in Joining our Research Team?

Undergraduate Students

We have ongoing projects and opportunities for undergraduate research both within the Faculty of Education and in Social and Developmental Psychology. Previous students have have pursued careers in business, education, medicine, and psychology.