Darrell Earnest

Darrell Earnest is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, specializing in the Department of Teacher Education & Curriculum Studies (TECS). He focuses on STEM education, particularly how students conceptualize time and tools like analog clocks, hourglasses, and digital representations. His work emphasizes equity in mathematics education and the interplay between representations, tools, and learning.

Education:

• B.A., Washington University, 1998
• M.A., Tufts University, 2002
• M.A., University of California, Berkeley, 2007
• Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 2012

Research Interests:

• Time as a mathematical and interdisciplinary concept
• Curriculum design and teacher education
• Equity in STEM education
• Cognitive development in elementary mathematics

Key Projects:

• Clock Work: Investigates children’s understanding of time through analog/digital clocks and non-standard tools like hourglasses.
• Time Literacy Project: Explores time management practices among undergraduate students, focusing on neurodivergent learners and academic success.
• Lesson Planimation: Examines how preservice teachers adapt curriculum materials into student-centered lessons, using animations to visualize instructional design.

Advising & Grants: Supervises graduate students (e.g., Alicia Gonzales, Christine McGrail) and collaborates with institutions like Disability Services. His work has been funded through projects on time literacy and curriculum translation.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with Dr. Julie Amador (University of Idaho) on curriculum design and teacher education initiatives.