Tara Barnhart

Dr. Tara Barnhart is an Assistant Professor at the Attallah College of Educational Studies, Chapman University. Her research focuses on science education, teacher noticing, and the use of video in teacher learning. She joined Chapman University in 2018 after 12.5 years of high school science teaching and earned her Ph.D. in Education from the University of California, Irvine, with an emphasis on learning, cognition, and development.

• Education:
  • B.A. in Biology, Whittier College
  • M.A. in Education, Whittier College
  • Ph.D. in Education, University of California, Irvine

Dr. Barnhart’s research explores how video analysis tools and collaborative lesson study cycles help pre-service teachers (PSTs) develop responsive teaching practices. Her work emphasizes teacher noticing of student thinking, instructional design aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, and the role of evidence-based reflection in improving science instruction.

Her recent publications focus on the integration of video annotation software, lesson-analysis guides, and dialogic tools to scaffold PSTs’ ability to elicit, interpret, and respond to student ideas. Key themes include the challenges of balancing instructional goals with student-centered approaches, the importance of structured tools for analyzing classroom interactions, and the evolution of teacher dispositions toward evidence-driven instructional decisions.

Dr. Barnhart is a National Board Certified educator in Science for Early Adolescence and Young Adulthood (2006). Her teaching integrates ambitious science teaching frameworks, video club models, and collaborative pedagogies to prepare PSTs for responsive, student-focused instruction in secondary science classrooms.