2003-2005 Northwestern University, Postdoctoral Fellow (CCMS)
1998-2003 University of Houston, Ed.D. Curriculum and Instruction-Science Education
1994-1997 Texas A&M University, M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
1987-1992 University of Missouri-Kansas City. B.S. Biology

Research Interests:
My research focuses on learning and teaching about epistemology of science and scientific inquiry. My recent work with the Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (CCMS) afforded me opportunities to research student learning about epistemology of science within project-based inquiry curriculum for middle school students. These curriculum materials called Investigating and Questioning Our World Through Science and Technology (IQWST) involve students in meaningful investigations that align with both science content and inquiry standards. I have taken an instrumental approach toward nature of science to guide student decision-making in investigations. Within this curriculum context, I study how students’ use their epistemologies of science to guide the practice of explanation and argumentation.

I am currently involved in a new NSF funded project called Modeling Designs for Learning Science (MoDeLS) with Northwestern Univ., Univ. of Michigan, Michigan State, Univ. of Illinois, Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and AAAS in which we will develop a learning progression for scientific modeling, explore its implementation in two grade bands, elementary and middle school, and examine students’ and teachers’ developing practices. I will examine what instructional supports promote student learning of knowledge of modeling and modeling practices. I also will study and characterize preservice teachers’ knowledge about modeling, modeling practices, and pedagogical content knowledge needed for scientific modeling.

Research Opportunities:
There are opportunities in the MoDeLS project for graduate and undergraduate students who are interested in science education, teacher education, cognition, and/or science learning. Students will be involved in video and audiotape data collection at elementary schools (4th and 5th), interviewing students and teachers, administering pre/post exams, collecting student and teacher work products such as student sheets and educative curriculum materials, transcribing video and data analysis. Students also will participate in curriculum design work implementing modeling for elementary classrooms as well as preservice coursework at WSU.

I hold a dual appointment with the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science and Mathematics and the Department of Teacher Education in the College of Education and Human Services where I teach biology and science education method courses.

Representative Publications:

Kenyon, L., Kuhn, L. & Reiser, B.J. (2006) Using students’ epistemologies of science to guide the practice of argumentation. In S.A. Barab, K. E. Hay, & D. T. Hickey (Eds.), Proceedings of the 7th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2006. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.

Chiappetta, E.L., Felske, D.D, & Kenyon, L. (2003). Helping students to better understand the nature of science. The Texas Science Teacher, 32(2), 17-20.

Trautmann, N.M., Carlsen, W. S, Eick, C. J., Gardner, Jr., F.E., Kenyon, L., Moscovici, H. Moore, J. C., Thomson, M., and West, S.S. (2003). Online peer review: Learning science as it’s practiced. Journal of College Science Teaching, 32(7), 443-447.

Kenyon, L.O., Landry, A.M., & Gill, G. (2001). Trace metal concentrations in blood of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii). Chelonian Conservation and Biology