Valerie Frede

Valerie Frede is an Associate Professor in Developmental Psychology at the University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès, affiliated with the CLLE Laboratory (Cognition, Langues, Langage, Ergonomie) where she is a member of the Language & Cognitive Processes research team. Her research focuses on children's acquisition of counterintuitive scientific concepts, particularly in astronomy, examining how cultural context, teaching methods, and cognitive development interact to shape scientific understanding.

Dr. Frede holds a Doctorate in Fundamental Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics and Geodesy and received her Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR) in Psychology in 2019 for her work on 'Acquisition and construction of counter-intuitive knowledge in science.' Her educational background bridges astronomy and psychology, providing a unique interdisciplinary perspective on science education.

Her primary research investigates how children develop understanding of astronomical concepts such as the Earth's shape, day/night cycles, and gravitation. She has conducted extensive cross-cultural work comparing French, African (particularly Burkinabe, Cameroonian, and Moroccan), and other children's astronomical knowledge. This research has revealed how cultural context influences the development of scientific concepts, showing that children in environments with limited scientific cultural support develop more hybrid explanations despite formal schooling.

Analysis of Dr. Frede's publication record reveals a consistent trajectory focused on conceptual change in astronomy education. Her work evolved from studying pre-service teachers' conceptions (2006-2008) to children's understanding (2009-2011), then to cross-cultural comparisons (2014-2019), culminating in her 2021 book synthesizing knowledge about counterintuitive concept development. Her methodology has progressed from simple assessments to sophisticated cross-cultural comparative studies examining both teaching interventions and cultural influences.

Dr. Frede has published over 15 peer-reviewed articles in international journals including Advances in Space Research, Astronomy Education Review, Current Psychology, and Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. Her 2021 book 'L'acquisition et le développement des connaissances contre-intuitives en sciences' represents a significant contribution to understanding how children develop scientific understanding of counterintuitive concepts.

As an educator, Dr. Frede teaches developmental psychology, methodology, mathematics education, and astronomy education. Her research has important implications for teacher training and science curriculum development, particularly regarding how to address children's pre-existing conceptions in science instruction. She has collaborated extensively with researchers including S. Frappart, B. Troadec, G. Nobes, and P. Charras across multiple institutions.

Dr. Frede conducts her research within the CLLE Laboratory's Language & Cognitive Processes team, where she investigates conceptual development through both empirical research and theoretical analysis. Her work bridges developmental psychology, science education, and cross-cultural research, creating a unique interdisciplinary perspective on how children develop scientific understanding of counterintuitive concepts.