معرفی
Ana Figueroa serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at The University of Tampa, teaching Foundations of American Education and Human Exceptionalities courses. Her academic journey bridges extensive K-12 experience with current scholarly work focused on teacher development.
Her educational background includes:
- 2007: B.S. in Elementary Education, University of Central Florida
- 2014: Master of Education, University of South Florida
- 2022: Ed.D., University of the Cumberlands
Dr. Figueroa's research centers on teacher mindset dynamics, specifically the relationship between evaluative performance perceptions and learning effort. Her dissertation revealed a critical dichotomy: K-12 teachers maintain fixed mindsets regarding performance evaluation but demonstrate growth mindsets in learning contexts. This insight drives her development of targeted professional learning frameworks that enhance self-efficacy through differentiated strategies and structured self-reflection.
Her honors include:
- Marzano High Reliability Teacher Certification (2018)
- High Impact Teacher (2015)
- Polk County Charter School Teacher of the Year (2015)
- Polk County Teacher of the Year (2012)
- CEC Outstanding Achievement nomination (2005)
Through UT's Teacher Education Advisory Council, she connects academic training with classroom practice. Her community engagement spans dePaul School of Dyslexia partnerships, ESOL/ESE student tutoring, after-school origami programs, and middle school basketball coaching - all informing her research on practical teacher development.
While not leading a formal research lab, Dr. Figueroa actively disseminates findings through conference presentations (ICPEL 2023, University of the Cumberlands 2022) and co-authored publications. Her current work focuses on translating mindset research into preservice training and teacher retention initiatives.
