Matthew Nyman

Matthew Nyman is a Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at the University of New Mexico, with a focus on the College of Arts and Sciences. He has extensive experience teaching across all levels of science education, from high school to graduate courses, and specializes in addressing the affective domain in science instruction to combat negative attitudes and misconceptions, particularly in non-majors and pre-service elementary teachers.

• Expertise: Overcoming science phobia, instructional strategies for reluctant learners, affective domain evaluation, and integration of geologic processes into physics and astronomy education.
• Teaching Focus: Standards-based physical science curriculum for pre-service elementary teachers, emphasizing hands-on activities, guided inquiry, and Earth science visualizations like earthquake distribution and plate tectonics.
• Key Contribution: Developed the 'Do You Know Me?' activity to teach the scientific method through self-inference exercises, followed by Earth Observations Day, which builds observational and pattern-recognition skills.