Matthew Kloser

Matthew Kloser is the Hackett Family Director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives and a faculty member in science education at the University of Notre Dame. He founded the Notre Dame Center for STEM Education in 2012 and served as its director until 2024.

Dr. Kloser’s research focuses on issues of teaching, learning, and assessment in science classrooms with a special focus on biology education. His research includes experimental studies that identify affordances and constraints of learning biology from different text types, mixed methods studies focused on assessment implications for student outcomes, and the relationship between core instructional practices and student outcomes.

Dr. Kloser, with Edna Tan (University of North Carolina at Greensboro) and Dana Vedder-Weiss (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel), have been named the Editors-in-Chief of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching (JRST) for the term 2025-2029.

Dr. Kloser received his M.Ed. through the Alliance for Catholic Education program at the University of Notre Dame and taught high school physics and math for five years prior to earning his M.S. in biology and Ph.D. in science education from Stanford University.

• Ph.D. in Science Education, Stanford University
• M.S. in Biology, Stanford University
• M.Ed., University of Notre Dame

• Cognition and Instruction in Science Education

• Core Science Teaching Practices

• Teacher Education and Teacher Professional Learning

• STEM Education in Catholic Schools

• Kloser, M. & Szopiak, M. (2024). Faith and STEM education: A path to mutual elevation in Catholic schools. Journal of Catholic Education, 27(1), 70-89.
• Pynes, D., Kloser, M., Wagner, C., Szopiak, M., Wilsey, M., Svarovsky, G., & Trinter, C. (2024). Bridging theory and practice: A framework for STEM teacher leadership. School Science and Mathematics, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12686
• Kloser, M., Floyd, C., Spang, C., Rogers, M., Ottone, N., & Rice, M. (2023). Exploring high school biology students’ discussions of multi-genre texts. International Journal of Science Education, 45(11), 895-922. 10.1080/09500693.2023.2177126.
• Ozulku, E. & Kloser, M. (2023). Middle school students’ motivational dispositions and interest in STEM careers. International Journal of Science Education.1-21. 10.1080/09500693.2023.2234778.
• Kloser, M., Borko, H., Wilsey, M., & Rafanelli, S. (2022). Leveraging portfolios in professional development for middle school science teachers’ assessment and data-use practice. Science Education, 106(4), 924-955.
• Kloser, M., Wilsey, M., Madkins, T., & Windschitil, M., (2019). Connecting the dots: Linking frameworks for facilitating discussion to novice teacher practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 80, 115-127.
• Kloser, M. (2018). The nature of the teacher’s role in supporting student investigations in middle and high school science classrooms: Creating and participating in a community of practice. A report commissioned by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington D.C.

• Science Education Policy, Values, and Practices (ESS 30623)

• Education Research Design, Capstone (ESS 43640)

• Science and Social Studies in Elementary Education (EDU 60192)

• Science Education I (EDU 60685)

• Science Education II (EDU 60785)

• Assessment in Science Education (EDU 60795)

• SPIRAL: Supporting Professional Inquiry and Re-Aligning Learning through a Structured e-Portfolio System (2020-2024)

• Investigating the Impact of Longitudinal Professional Development on STEM Teaching Practice (2016-Present)

• Flip-the-Script: Translational Research Project in Faith-Informed STEM Education (2023-Present)

• Exploring the Relationship Between Classroom Factors and Teacher Value-Added Measures in High School Biology Classrooms (2021-2024)

• IMMERSE: Interruptions and Meaningful Multi-media Experiences Research in Science Education (2019-2023)