Susan A. Yoon

Biography

Susan A. Yoon is the Graduate School of Education Presidential Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where she also serves as Associate Dean of Research and Faculty Affairs. A learning scientist specializing in STEM integration, Dr. Yoon studies how complex systems approaches, computational tools, and designed learning environments support deeper disciplinary teaching and learning across formal and informal educational settings. Her work is particularly focused on helping learners make informed decisions about complex socioscientific issues.

Education

Post-Doc (Science and Technology Education) Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ph.D. (Science Education) University of Toronto
M.A. (Science Education) University of Toronto
B.Ed. (Education) University of Toronto
B.Sc.H. (Biology) Queen's University

Areas of Expertise

Learning sciences
STEM integration
Epistemic performance
Socioscientific issues
Complex systems
Teachers' adaptive expertise
Knowledge-building environments
Social networks and social capital

Academic Programs

Education Entrepreneurship, M.S.Ed.
Learning Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, M.S.Ed.
Learning Sciences and Technologies, M.S.Ed.
Learning Sciences and Technologies, Ph.D.
Principal Certification
School Leadership, M.S.Ed.
Teaching, Learning, and Leadership, M.S.Ed.
Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education, Ed.D.
Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education, Ph.D.

Research Interests and Current Projects

Dr. Yoon draws on theories of learning, complex systems, social networks, social capital, and epistemic cognition to design curricular and professional development interventions that bring emerging real-world STEM topics, such as nanotechnology, bioinformatics, disease epidemics, climate change, and air pollution, into middle and high school learning environments. Through collaborations with educational practitioners, she develops co-designed methodologies and tools that integrate disciplinary inquiry, participation, and collaboration to strengthen scientific reasoning, adaptive expertise, data literacy, and epistemic agency.

A major strand of Dr. Yoon’s research examines the teaching and learning of complex systems in K–12 science education. Using technologies such as agent-based computational models, mobile and place-based learning tools, augmented reality, and data-rich digital environments, she investigates how learners engage in scientific epistemic practices, including modeling, argumentation, evidence-based reasoning, and theory building. Her recent work also explores how students evaluate socioscientific issues and navigate scientific information in increasingly complex “post-truth” contexts.

Another line of Dr. Yoon’s research focuses on learning in informal and community-based environments, including museums, after-school programs, and partnerships with science organizations. Her longstanding collaborations with institutions such as the The Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Zoo center on designing experiences that foster scientific understanding, engagement, and curiosity. This work emphasizes preserving the distinctive qualities of informal learning environments, including play, experimentation, and self-directed exploration.

Dr. Yoon is internationally recognized for her contributions to the learning sciences. She was named a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association in 2024 and a Fellow of the International Society of the Learning Sciences in 2019. She also received the Jan Hawkins Award for Early Career Contributions to Humanistic Research and Scholarship in Learning Technologies from the American Educational Research Association. From 2017 to 2020, she served as co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Learning Sciences, and from 2013 to 2019, she was an elected board member of the International Society of the Learning Sciences. She has also served on the editorial boards of several leading journals, including Educational Researcher, Review of Educational Research, and American Educational Research Journal.

Currently funded research includes:

Pilot Study Investigating Feasibility, Acceptability, and Perceived Benefits of Air Purifier Deployment in Urban Childcare Centers (Penn Climate, 2026–2027)

STEM-Integrated Bioinformatics Instruction for Air-Quality Data Science Literacy in Southeast Asia: A Research–Practice Partnership between Penn Researchers and Vietnamese Schools (Penn Global, 2026–2029)

Developing Teachers’ Epistemic Cognition and Teaching (DeTECT) Practices for Supporting Students’ Epistemic Practices with Scientific Systems — supporting the development of teachers’ epistemic instructional repertoires to support growth in students’ epistemic knowledge and practices using models of complex systems (NSF-DRK12, 2020–2024)

Previously funded research includes:

Professional Development Supports for Teaching Bioinformatics through Mobile Learning — A public health and engagement project promoting computational and scientific action in local urban communities through the collection and analysis of bioinformatics data (NSF-DRK12, 2018–2024).

BioGraph 2.0–Professional Development for High School Biology Teachers for Teaching and Learning About Complex Systems — building online PD with a goal to scale high quality activities for access at low to no-cost (NSF-DRK12, 2017–2021).

App Inventor for Socioscientific Issues to Build Engagement in STEM, an in-school science project for middle school students (University Research Fund and the Milken Foundation, 2016–2017).

BioGraph: Graphical Programming for Constructing Complex Systems Understanding in Biology, an in-school project for high school biology students and teachers (NSF-DRK12, 2010–2015).

ARIEL — Augmented Reality for Interpretive and Experiential Learning, an informal science project to enhance museum visitor experiences (NSF-ISE, 2008–2014)

SPARK — Igniting Interest and Achievement in STEM through Engineering Design, an out-of-school time project for youth in grades 4-8 (NSF-AYS, 2006–2010).

Nanotechnology and Bioengineering in Philadelphia Public Schools, an in-school project for high school science students and teachers (NSF-ITEST, 2008–2012)

A Penn–West Philadelphia/Philadelphia Public School Partnership to Develop Innovative and Sustainable Ways for Technology to Positively Impact Learning (Lenovo Foundation, 2011–2012)

Headstart to High School Science in West Philadelphia Schools, a summer project focused on socioscientific issues for middle school students (Lindback Foundation, 2006–2008)

Publications

Featured Publications

Networked by Design: Interventions for Teachers to Develop Social Capital

Susan A. Yoon

Routledge

June, 2018

Selected Journal Articles (since 2020)

Yoon, S. A., Shim, J., Cottone, A., M., Miller, K. Noushad, N. (2026). Making the Case to Improve Teachers’ STEM-Integrated Content Knowledge: An Analysis of Teachers’ Adaptive Expertise and Impacts on Student Classroom Experiences. International Journal of STEM Education.

Aldemir, T., Yoon, S. A., Miller, K., & Shim, J. (2026). Teachers as co-designers: Fostering equitable participation through relational trust. AERA Open. Advance online publication.

Cottone, A. M., Zheng, B., Zhao, J., Yoon, S. A., Kaloustian, T., Li, H., Wells, R. G. (2026). Investigating systems complexity with the venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) using multiple models: Introducing high school students to approaches in mechanobiology. Systems, 14(3), 331. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14030331

Yoon, S. A., Miller, K. M., Richman, T., Noushad, N., Zhang, W., Hageman, G., Yueqiao, L., & Cottone, A. (2025). Developing teachers’ disciplinary knowledge in the K-12 STEM integration field: A review of a decade of educational research. Review of Educational Research, 95(6), 1337–1378.

Noushad, N., Shim. J., Yoon, S. A. (in press). Investigating epistemic opportunities: a contrastive case study of two high school teacher’ instructional strategies to support student’s agency. Journal of Science Teacher Education.

Kwon, H. S., Yoon, S. A., & Shim, J. (2026). Beyond asynchronous and synchronous: Bichronous online STEM professional development in bioinformatics for high school science teachers. Journal of Research in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education.

Shim, J., & Yoon, S. A. (2024). Improving STEM education through resource activation: A study of culturally relevant teaching for critical data literacy in a high school science classroom. Journal of Research in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 7, 1–26. (Best paper award)

Yoon, S. A., Chinn, C., Noushad, N., Richman, T., Hussain-Abidi, H., Hunkar, K., Cottone, A., Katz, J., Mitkus, E., & Wendel, D. (2023) Seven design principles for teaching complex socioscientific issues: The design of a complex systems agent-based disease epidemic model and the application of epistemic practices in high school biology. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1210153.

Chinn, C., Yoon, S. A., Hussain-Abidi, H., Hunkar, K., Noushad, N., Richman, T. (2023). Designing learning environments to promote good thinking in a post-truth world: An example from science education. European Journal of Education, 58(3), 407–421.

Miller, K. M., & Yoon, S. A. (2023). Teaching complexity in biology through agent-based simulations: The relationship between students’ knowledge of complex systems and modeling. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1198307.

Cottone, A. M., Yoon, S. A., Shim, J., Coulter, B., & Carman, S. (2023). Evaluating apt epistemic processes in support of data literacy in elementary school students. Instructional Science, 51, 1–37.

Diwadkar A.R., Yoon, S. A., Shim, J., Gonzalez, M., Urbanowicz, R., Himes. B.E. (2021). Integrating biomedical informatics training into existing high school curricula. AMIA Joint Summits on Translational Science, 2021, 190–199.

Yoon, S. (2021). Complex systems research in K12 science education: A focus on what works for whom and under which conditions. Systems, 9(29). https://doi.org/10.3390/systems9020029

Cottone, A.M., Yoon, S. A., Coulter, B., Shim, J., & Carmen, S. (2021). Building system capacity with a modeling-based inquiry program for elementary students: A case study. Systems, 9(9), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems9010009

Marei, A., Yoon, S. A., Yoo, J., Richman, T., Noushad, N., Miller, K., & Shim, J. (2021). Designing feedback systems: Examining a feedback approach to facilitation in an online asynchronous professional development course for high school science teachers. Systems, 9(10), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems9010010

Yoon, S. A., Miller, K., & Richman, T. (2020). Comparative study of high-quality professional development for high school biology in a face-to-face versus online delivery mode. Educational Technology & Society, 23(3), 68–80. https://doi.org/10.30191/ETS.202007_23(3).0006

Yoon, S. A., Miller, K., Richman, T., Wendel, D., Schoenfeld, I., Anderson, E., & Shim, J. (2020). Encouraging collaboration and building community in online asynchronous professional development: Designing for social capital. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 15(3), 351–371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-020-09326-2

Yoon, S. A., Miller, K., Richman, T., Wendel, D., Schoenfeld, I., Anderson, E., Shim, J., & Marei, A. (2020). A social capital design for delivering online asynchronous professional development in a MOOC course for science teachers. Information and the Learning Sciences, 121(7–8), 677–693. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-04-2020-0061

Lasky D., & Yoon, S. (2020). A creative classroom for everyone: An introduction to a small ‘c’ creativity framework. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 36, 100660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100660

Baker-Doyle, K., & Yoon, S. (2020). The social side of teacher education: Implications of social network research for the design of professional development. International Journal of Educational Research, 101, 101563. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101563

Cottone, A., & Yoon, S. (2020). Improving the design of undergraduate biology courses toward the goal of retention: The case of real-world inquiry and active learning through metagenomics. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 21(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v21i1.1965

Selected Refereed Proceedings (since 2021)

Kwon, H. S., Roeroe, C., & Yoon, S. A. (2026). Facilitating high school students’ socially share regulation of learning through STEM inquiry into local air quality and asthma. In the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2026. Irvine California: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Hussain-Abidi, H., Chinn, C., Yoon, S. A., Noushad, N. F., LeBovidge, C., Yang, L. (2026). Building trust in scientific reviews: Challenges and insights from high school science. In the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2026. Irvine California: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Noushad, N., Yoon, S. A., LeBovidge, C., Chinn, C., & Hussain-Abidi, H. (2026). When students disagree about what counts as science: Examining epistemic disagreements in high school science classrooms. In the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2026. Irvine California: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

LeBovidge, C., Yoon, S. A., Chinn, C., Noushad, N. Hussain-Abidi, H. (2026). Supporting high schoolers’ epistemic vigilance in everyday science evaluative strategies and values shift across sources. In the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2026. Irvine California: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Gao, Q., Chinn, C. A., Yoon, S. A., Hussaing-Abidi, H., Noushad, N. F., LeBovidge, C., & Yang, Z. (2026). Understanding and supporting competent outsiders’ epistemic perfoamcne with the AIR framework. In the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2026. Irvine California: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Zheng, B., Cottone, A., Yoon, S. A., Li, H., Zhao, J., Wells, R. (2026). Exploring complex systems through multiple external representations: High school students’ exploration of the mechanobiology of venus flytraps. In the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2026. Irvine California: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Li, H., Cottone, A., Yoon, S. A., Zheng, B., & Wells, R. (2026). Enhancing K-12 teachers’ confidence and competence in STEM integration using blended learning in professional development. In the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2026. Irvine California: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Kwon, H. S., Yoon, S. A., & Shim, J. (2026). Collaborative high school teacher learning in bichronous online STEM professional development. In the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2026. Irvine California: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Yoon, S. A., Shim, J., Zhang, W., Leung, V., Nguyen, Z. (2025). Epistemic emotions and their triggering of further epistemic engagement in a socioscientific high school unit on bioinformatics and air quality. Symposium paper in the Proceedings of the 19th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2025. Helsinki, Finland: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Yang, Z., Yoon, S. A., Chinn, C., Hunkar, K., Hussain-Abidi, H., Noushad, N. (2025). Building student epistemic practices through curriculum design: An empirical study. Long paper in the Proceedings of the 19th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2025. Helsinki, Finland: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Noushad, N. F., Yoon, S. A., Chinn, C., Yang, Z., LeBovidge, C., Hunkar, K., Hussain-Abidi, H. (2025). The making of competent outsiders: Using epistemic practices of science to enhance student’s critical evaluation of misleading scientific explanations in classrooms. Short paper in the Proceedings of the 19th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2025. Helsinki, Finland: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Yoon, S. A., Chinn, C., Richman, T., Noushad, N., Hussain-Abidi, H., Hunkar, K., & Yang, A. (2024). Instructional epistemic frames in professional development of high school biology teachers. Symposium paper in the Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2024. Buffalo, New York: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Yoon, S. A. (2024). Developing teachers’ adaptive expertise for ambitious instruction and disciplinary learning. Symposium in the Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2024. Buffalo, New York: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Yoon, S. A., Shim., J., Leung., V. Y., & Nguyen, Y. (2024). “OMG that’s crazy!” Examining the role of high school biology students’ epistemic emotions in data investigations of neighborhood air quality. Symposium paper in the Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2024. Buffalo, New York: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Yang, Z., Yoon, S. A., Chinn, C., Cottone, A., Richman, T., Noushad, N., Hussaing-Abidi, H., & Hunkar, K. (2024). Examining teachers’ implementation of scientific epistemic practices curricula through an adaptive expertise lens: A case study. Long paper in the Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2024. Buffalo, New York: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Noushad, N., Yoon, S. A., Chinn, C., Yang, Z. Hussain-Abidi, H., & Hunkar, H. (2024). “Scientists don’t know the truth; they tell you what they know to be true!: Shaping high school students understanding of how scientists establish trustworthy claims using epistemic practices. Long paper in the Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2024. Buffalo, New York: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Aldemir, T., Shim, J., & Yoon, S. A. (2024). Teachers as co-thinkers and facilitators: Unpacking teacher-student dynamics in co-design partnerships. Symposium paper in the Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2024. Buffalo, New York: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Aldemir, T., Shim, J., & Yoon, S. A. (2024). Empowering voices: Promoting equitable participation in student-inclusive co-design research-practice partnerships. Long paper in the Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2024. Buffalo, New York: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Hussain-Abidi, H., Hunkar, H., Chinn, C., Yoon, S. A., Noushad, N., & Yang, Z. (2024). Using Apt-AIR to guide the design and analysis of a socio-scientific unit. Symposium paper in the Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2024. Buffalo, New York: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Shim, J., & Yoon, S. A. (2023). Activating resources for incorporating culturally relevant teaching in STEM curricula. Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2023. Montreal, Canada: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Cottone, A., Yoon, S. A., Richman, T., Chinn, C., Hussain-Abidi, H., & Noushad, N. (2023). Examining the effects of teacher instructional approaches on shifting students’ experiences towards epistemic practices during scientific modeling. Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2023.Montreal, Canada: International Society of Learning Sciences.

Miller, K., & Yoon, S. A. (2023). Supporting high school science teachers in developing pedagogical content knowledge for data literacy. Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2023.Montreal, Canada: International Society of Learning Sciences.

Aldemir, T., Yoon. S. A., Miller, K., & Shim, J. (2023). Teachers as co-designers: Forming equitable participation through the lens of relational trust. Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2023.Montreal, Canada: International Society of Learning Sciences.

Noushad, N., Richman, T., Yoon, S. A., Hussain-Abidi, H., Cottone, A., & Chinn, C. (2023). The creation of an epistemically authentic learning environment: Making space for epistemic practices in high school science classrooms. Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2023.Montreal, Canada: International Society of Learning Sciences.

Hussain-Abidi, H., Hunkar, K., Chinn, C. A., Yoon, S. A., Cottone, A. C., Noushad, N. F., & Richman, T. (2023). Analyzing teacher epistemic moves in science classrooms. Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2023.Montreal, Canada: International Society of Learning Sciences.

Yoon, S., Chinn, C., Cottone, A., Richman, T., Noushad, N., & Hussain-Abidi, H. (2022). Forging pathways from computational complex systems models to current socioscientific issues through scientific epistemic practices. Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - CSCL 2022. Hiroshima, Japan: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Noushad, F. N., Cottone, A., Hussain-Abidi, H., Yoon, S., & Chinn, C. (2022). Epistemic Practices that Advance Learning of Complex Systems [Structured Poster Presentation]. Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - CSCL 2022. Hiroshima, Japan: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Yoon, S., Chinn, C., & Noushad, N. (2022). Frameworks and methodologies for epistemic growth in K-12 science classrooms to address post-truth discourse. Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - CSCL 2022. Hiroshima, Japan: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Hussain-Abidi, H., Chinn, C., Yoon, S., Cottone, A., Noushad, N., & Richman, T. (2022). Apt Epistemic Practices in a High School Science Classroom: A Contrastive Case Study. Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS 2022.Hiroshima, Japan: International Society of Learning Sciences.

Richman, T., Yoon, S., Miller, K., & Marei, A. (2022). Using social media to extend online professional development: Investigating teachers’ fulfillment of personal interest and self-efficacy on WhatsApp. Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - CSCL 2022. Hiroshima, Japan: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Miller, K., Yoon, S. A., & Shim, J. (2022). Surfacing collective pedagogical content knowledge for data literacy: An exploratory study with high school science teachers. Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of the Learning Sciences - ICLS 2022. Hiroshima, Japan: International Society of Learning Sciences.

Noushad, N. F., Shim, J., & Yoon, S. (2022). Navigating the conceptual and critical demands of data literacy in high school space using firsthand data. Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of the Learning Sciences - ICLS 2022. Hiroshima, Japan: International Society of Learning Sciences.

Shim, J., Noushad, N. F., & Yoon, S. (2022). Exploring pedagogical strategies for promoting student epistemic agency through the transfer of cognitive authority in an online science class. Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - CSCL 2022. Hiroshima, Japan: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Cottone, A. M., Yoon, S. A., Chinn, C., Noushad, N., & Hussain-Abidi, H. (2022). High school science education in a “post-truth” society: Confronting confirmation bias with students and teachers. Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - CSCL 2022. Hiroshima, Japan: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Noushad, N., Shim, J., Yoon, S., & Cottone, A. (2021). Are community relevant PBL supports enough to promote epistemic agency? Exploring variation in epistemic pedagogical practices in science classrooms. Long paper presented to the Annual Conference of the International Society of the Learning Sciences. *Nominated for best student paper.

Richman, T., Yoon, S. A., Marei, A., Miller, K. (2021, June 7–11). Analyzing Peer Interaction as Asynchronous Online Professional Development Scales Up to Include More Teachers [Poster session]. International Society of the Learning Sciences 2021 Conference.

Miller, K., Yoon, S., Cottone, A., & Shim, J. (June 2021). Integrating data literacy into secondary school science: An exploratory study of a pilot professional development. Short paper presented at the Annual Conference of the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS), Bochum, Germany (virtual).

Shim, J., Yoon, S., Cottone, A., & Miller, K. (2021). Two exploratory case studies for teachers’ adaptive expertise in teaching Bioinformatics in high school science classroom. Poster presented online at the International Society of the Learning Sciences.

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