Anja Blecking

Anja Blecking is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), affiliated with the College of Letters & Science. Her work focuses on chemistry education and teacher development.

Education:

• PhD in Chemistry from Gerhard-Mercator Universität Duisburg, Germany

Research Interests:

• Science Teacher Education: Developing a secondary science teacher education track with UWM's College of Community Engagement & Professions and local two-year institutions.
• Assessment Innovation: Creating methods to measure pre-service teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and early identification of student misconceptions in undergraduate chemistry.
• Technology Integration: Utilizing the Classroom Salon platform to analyze student engagement and inform instructional strategies.
• Curriculum Design: Expanding K-8 science education through pedagogy laboratory courses and professional development for in-service teachers in Milwaukee.

Labs & Groups: Leads the Blecking Group, focusing on improving chemistry education through research and practice.

Grants & Initiatives:

• Developed a longitudinal student assessment system for STEM disciplines to track academic progress and implement interventions.
• Collaborated on a science methods course linking content knowledge to pedagogy and student misconceptions.