Ufuk Yildirim

Prof. Ufuk Yildirim is a Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Science Education within the Faculty of Education at Middle East Technical University (METU). His research focuses on educational technology, teacher training in physics, and curriculum implementation. He actively contributes to understanding student misconceptions in physics and improving pre-service teacher preparedness for laboratory instruction and inquiry-based learning.

His work bridges national curriculum standards with practical classroom applications, emphasizing regional disparities in student performance and teacher beliefs. He leads projects addressing challenges in physics education across Turkey and has authored/co-authored 27 publications. His contact details include email yufuk@metu.edu.tr and office EF-215.

Key research themes include:

• Pre-service teacher development
• Context-based argument-driven inquiry
• Student misconceptions in physics
• National curriculum alignment
• Educational equity analysis
• Experimental design pedagogy

Recent publications highlight trends in laboratory practice challenges (2024), regional education mapping (2016–2013), and teacher belief studies (2014–2013). He has supervised one thesis and led six research projects. His work intersects educational policy, pedagogy, and cognitive science to advance science education outcomes.