Jessica Watkins
Papers
1
Total Citations
2
H-Index
1
About
Dr. Jessica Watkins is an emerging scholar in K-12 engineering education, with a particular focus on elementary teachers’ professional development and affective learning. Her research examines how in-service teachers develop confidence, empathy, and nuanced perspectives when integrating engineering into their classrooms. In her notable 2020 study, “I Understand Their Frustrations a Little Bit Better,” Dr. Watkins explored how an online learning program shifted elementary teachers’ affective stances—helping them better relate to students’ struggles with open-ended engineering problems. While her citation count is still growing (2 citations for this work), her contribution is significant: she is helping to define the emotional and relational dimensions of teacher learning in engineering, an area often overshadowed by technical skill-building. Her work is particularly timely as engineering standards become more widespread in U.S. elementary schools. By centering teachers’ frustrations, empathy, and growth, Dr. Watkins is shaping how professional development programs can better support the diverse group of educators now tasked with teaching engineering. Her research offers practical insights for teacher educators and curriculum designers aiming to foster more inclusive and responsive engineering classrooms.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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