Faculty Research

Our Instructional Systems program at Penn State is consistently rated as one of the top programs in the country. This accomplishment can be attributed to the quality of faculty conducting research here, as well as the facilities, resources, and technologies that Penn State has to offer a prospective student.

At Penn State, faculty and students participate in rich interdisciplinary programs of research, supported by research grants from a variety of sources. Current and past funding sources for faculty research has included NSF, The U.S. and PA Departments of Education, NASA, and other private foundations (e.g., Spencer) or corporate funding sources.

Faculty in our program have served as past presidents of major international professional associations, published award-winning books as well as articles in premier journals, and presented at National and International Conferences. We have faculty who are elected members to NRC councils, have won nationally-competitive book and research awards, are members of the Apple Fellows Program, and have won distinction for service and leadership in education in Pennsylvania.

All doctoral students work closely with faculty and fellow students on research teams and in research labs immediately upon entering the program. This “research apprenticeship” approach is the core of our doctoral program, and all activities and courses revolve around collaborative research projects. See the link on “Research Apprenticeships” in this section for more information.