ÎÞÂëרÇø

Research Interests

My research focuses on integrated STEM education in K–12 contexts, with particular attention to the integration of engineering into science classrooms. I am interested in how students engage in STEM practices, how integrated STEM curricula are designed and implemented, and how teachers can be supported in facilitating meaningful STEM learning experiences. My dissertation was grounded in these areas. It examined middle school students’ engagement with engineering practices within integrated STEM learning environments. It also explored teachers’ discursive moves in supporting students’ engagement with engineering practices, as well as how different integrated STEM curricula afford opportunities for such engagement. Methodologically, my primary specialization is in qualitative research, including case study and discourse analysis. I have also been trained in quantitative analysis and mixed methods research during my Ph.D. and M.A. programs. Currently, I bring these experiences to the Teacher Corp Project, where I support K-12 teachers in integrating engineering education into their classroom instruction while also conducting research on teacher professional learning, curriculum development and implementation, as well as students’ engagement in integrated STEM learning.

Supplementary

Before joining ÎÞÂëרÇø, I worked as a graduate instructor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities from 2023 to 2026, where I taught Physics by Inquiry to undergraduate students. The course was designed to engage future elementary teachers in the practices of science through inquiry-based learning. In this role, I guided students in exploring how scientific knowledge is generated across disciplines and modeled how inquiry-based approaches can be translated into elementary classroom instruction.

I also worked as a graduate research assistant on multiple projects in integrated STEM, climate change, and engineering education, supported by organizations including 3M and the National Science Foundation. For example, I contributed to the "Transforming Science Education at Parkview Elementary School" project, collaborating with the PI, the school’s science coordinator, and fellow researchers to review and adapt Amplify curriculum materials to meet district needs. I also helped design and facilitate teacher professional learning programs focused on integrating engineering education into classroom practice and provided in-person support to teachers during preparation and implementation.

Beyond teaching and research, I serve as a reviewer for NARST, ESERA, and ASTE conference proposals and am a member of the NARST Graduate Student Committee. I also mentor students through the Our Future Is Science program, which promotes STEM career pathways through youth-led capstone projects.

Representative Publications

Purwanto, M. G., Roehrig, G., Wieselmann, J., & Stretch, E. (2025, June). Exploring a Teacher’s Discursive Moves in Facilitating Middle School Students’ Epistemic Practices of Engineering. In 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.

Suhandi, A., Samsudin, A., Fratiwi, N. J., Nurdini, N., Feranie, S., Purwanto, M. G., Linuwih, S., Costu, B. (2025). Altering misconceptions: How e-rebuttal texts on Newton's laws reconstructs students' mental models. Frontiers Education, 10. Doi:10.3389/feduc.2025.1472385

Suminar, I., Nurdini, N., Fratiwi, N. J., Abdurrahman, D., Purwanto, M. G. (2025). Inquiry-driven essay assessment (IDEA) as a framework for evaluating students’ argumentation in static fluids. Indonesian Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 8(1), 26-40.

Purwanto, M. G., Suhandi, A., CoÅŸtu, B., Samsudin, A., & Nurtanto, M. (2020). Static fluid concept inventory (SFCI): A gender gap analysis using Rasch model to promote a diagnostic test instrument on students’ conception. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(6), 3798-3812.

Purwanto, M. G., Nurliani, R., Kaniawati, I., & Samsudin, A. (2018, May). Promoting the hydrostatic conceptual change test (HCCT) with four-tier diagnostic test item. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1013, No. 1, p. 012035). IOP Publishing.