David Bergin

David A. Bergin is a Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Missouri, specializing in student motivation, STEM learning, and the development of interest. He holds a PhD and an Educational Specialist degree from Stanford University. His work emphasizes understanding how motivation influences academic and informal learning, particularly for underrepresented groups. Bergin is a past president of APA's Division 15 (Educational Psychology) and has contributed to editorial boards of top journals like Journal of Educational Psychology.

Research Interests: Bergin investigates how interest and motivation drive learning outcomes, classroom engagement, and career choices. He explores the impact of teacher-student relationships, competition, and cultural factors on student achievement. His recent work includes studies on robotics-based engineering education, interdisciplinary neuroscience curricula, and interventions for underrepresented students.

Awards & Recognition:

• Outstanding College Teaching Award (University of Missouri College of Education, 2018)
• Fulbright Scholar (2013, teaching motivation courses in Chile)

Key Contributions: Co-author of Child and Adolescent Development in Your Classroom (3rd ed.), a widely used teacher-training textbook. He has also developed the Classroom Engagement Inventory and contributed to TIMSS data analysis on international education trends.

Advising & Grants: Bergin has advised numerous studies on STEM motivation, low-stakes testing, and college access programs for marginalized students. His grants include funding for neuroscience education initiatives and engineering design learning projects.