Thomas J. McKenna

Director, Center for STEM Professional Learning at Scale
Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Thomas “TJ” McKenna is a clinical assistant professor in science education at BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Dr. McKenna has spent the past 20 years as a scientist, educator (formal and informal), on-air science communicator, and faculty member focused on uncovering what works well in STEM education and how we can improve in scaling research and practice-based efforts. He is also the director of the Center for STEM Professional Learning at Scale.

Dr. McKenna works at the nexus of policy, practice, and research in ways that deepen the understanding of how to make progress on the ecological problem of supporting teachers (preservice & in-service) in their efforts to offer high-quality science learning to all our students. He is also the founder and creator of Phenomena for NGSS, an educational website designed to support teachers in learning more about phenomena-based instruction.

In the Media

Announcing the 2024 AI and Education Initiative Awards

Education

PhD, Science Ed Curriculum & Instruction, University of Connecticut
MS, Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
BS, Biology, Central Connecticut State University

Courses

ED 350: Sensemaking in STEM

CH 300/515: Elementary Science Methods

WED SC570 OL: Secondary Science Methods I

WED SC572 OL: Secondary Science Methods II

SC 521: STEM Education Theory & Practice

ED 111: Technology in Education

ED 130/131: Exploring Professions: STEM Learning, Action & Impact

BF/BI510: IRHS Institutional Racism in Health and Science

Selected Publications

McKenna, T. J. & Michaels, S. (Accepted July, 2024). Democratizing STEM: developing a culture of sensemaking. Education for Equity and Democracy: A primer. Edited by Fadie T. Coleman, Harvard University, and Elsa Wiehe, Boston University

Sinoradzki, K. & McKenna, T. J. (July, 2021). What could be so phenomenal about animals?: Using structure and function to figure out animal diversity. Science and Children.

Campbell, T., Lee, H., Longhurst, M. L., McKenna, T. J., & Coster, D. (January, 2021). Next generation science classrooms: The development of a survey for examining student experiences in science classrooms. School Science and Mathematics.

Vo, T., Fick, S., & McKenna, T. J. (2022, October). Why and how should I use crosscutting concepts to enhance my science instruction? STEM Teaching Tools Initiative, Institute for Science + Math Education. Seattle, WA: University of Washington. Retrieved from https://stemteachingtools.org/brief/91

Wilson, S., & McKenna, T. J. (2021). Increasing the circle of light on professional development: The case of the next generation of science exemplar facilitator learning. https://open.bu.edu/handle/2144/44271

McKenna, T. J., Schilling, V., Campbell, T., & UConn Mentor Teacher Collaborative (2017, April). How can mentor teachers and university educators support preservice science teachers? STEM Teaching Tools Initiative, Institute for Science + Math Education. Seattle, WA: University of Washington. Retrieved from https://stemteachingtools.org/brief/49

Selected Presentations

McKenna, T. J. (2024, April). Panel on statewide launch for Maryland State Department of Education. [Panel presentation]. Maryland, United States.

McKenna, T. J. (2024, April). Developing science teacher professional development facilitators. [Webinar presentation]. National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA), Webinar.

Crawford, F. A., Osborne, M., Shah, B., Labadorf, A., McKenna, T. J., & Rueger, T. (2024, March). Teaching more than facts: A systematic approach for detecting bias in scientific communications. [Conference presentation]. National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) International Convention, Denver, CO, United States.

McKenna, T. J. (2023, September). Panel on convergence education. [Conference presentation]. Henry Ford Institute, MI, United States.

McKenna, T. J. (2023, June) Building organizational capacity for STEM Educational reform. [Conference presentation]. National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA) Summer Leadership Institute, Providence, RI, United States.

Brkich, K., Burgess, T., De La Cruz, I., Luna, M., McKenna, T. J., Moldavan, A. M., Nafzinger, B., Schwarz, C., Sharma, M., & Starr, M. Symposium: Elementary science and teacher education standards in the US: Implementation and future directions. [Conference presentation]. 2023 National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) International Convention, Chicago, IL, United States.

Crawford, F. A., Osborne, M., Shah, B., Labadorf, A., McKenna, T. J., & Rueger, T. (2023, March). An instrument for detecting bias in text. [Conference presentation]. American Association of Colleges & Universities Conference on Diversity, Equity, and Student Success: Can we handle the truth? Henderson, NV, United States.

McKenna, T. J. (2022, March) Building an elementary science teacher education community to advance equity and justice. [Conference presentation]. National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) International Convention, Vancouver, Canada.

McKenna, T. J. (2023). A model of racial equity training that empowers school nurses to promote an antiracist environment. [Conference presentation]. 2023 National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) International Convention, Washington, DC, United States.

McKenna, T. J. (2022, April) Asset-based approaches to science learning. [Leadership Series]. National Science Education Leadership Association, Virtual.

McKenna, T. J. (2021, November) Can education change the world? [Keynote address]. Curiosity and Learning Conference, Virtual.

McKenna, T. J. (2021, October) Making science education meaningful. [Keynote address]. Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science, Lincoln, NE, United States.

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