Catharyn Shelton

Catharyn Shelton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Specialties at Northern Arizona University. Her scholarly work focuses on the transformation of teaching practices in the digital era, with particular attention to how educators engage with social media platforms and online marketplaces such as TeachersPayTeachers.com and TikTok. She investigates how teachers function as entrepreneurs, influencers, and content creators, reshaping professional identity and pedagogical norms.

Her research interests span teacherpreneurship, social media in education, digital learning platforms, and online educational marketplaces. She explores how digital tools are intensifying teacher labor, altering curriculum development, and influencing professional identity formation. Her work often applies sociocultural frameworks such as 'figured worlds' to understand the evolving roles of educators in networked environments.

The trends in her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on digital platforms and their impact on K–12 education. From examining the quality of best-selling U.S. history resources on Teachers Pay Teachers to analyzing how educators use TikTok for professional learning, her research highlights the dual role of teachers as both consumers and producers of educational content. These studies collectively underscore the growing influence of social media on teaching practices, professional development, and educational equity.

While no formal awards or honors are listed in the provided text, her publications in high-impact journals such as Teaching and Teacher Education and Learning, Media and Technology reflect recognition within the academic community. Her collaborations with researchers like Julie P. Carpenter and Scott Schroeder further demonstrate active engagement in interdisciplinary educational research.

Catharyn Shelton advises and mentors students in teacher education and digital learning, though specific names of advisees are not listed. She has secured research visibility through consistent scholarly output and engagement with digital academic networks. Her work contributes to understanding how open-access platforms and social media are democratizing educational content creation while also raising concerns about quality, equity, and commercialization in public education.

She is actively involved in research related to digital pedagogy and teacher identity, likely leading or contributing to research groups focused on technology integration in education. Her scholarship supports the development of critical media literacy and ethical engagement with digital tools among preservice and in-service teachers.