Harrer, Benedikt

Dr. Benedikt Harrer

Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Physics Education Research (PER)

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Research interests:

  • Learning of scientific practices, esp. in physics
  • Productive ideas and intuitions in physics (esp. in the context of energy), their informal assessment, and responsive teaching
  • Physics pre- and in-service teacher learning in formal and informal professional development settings
  • Audio- and video-recording techniques for capturing interactions in natural settings

Publications (hosted by Dr. Martin Luther King Library)

Interested in doing physics education research? Contact me!

Email

Preferred: benedikt.harrer@sjsu.edu

Telephone

Preferred: (408) 924-5284

Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Physics, University of Maine, 2013

Staatsexamen LAG, Physics and Mathematics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 2009

Bio

Dr. Harrer earned his Ph.D. in physics (specializing in physics education research) at the University of Maine, where he analyzed classroom video to identify disciplinary progenitors in middle school students’ ideas about energy. He also holds a graduate degree in physics and mathematics with a concentration in teaching and education (Staatsexamen Mathematik/Physik für Lehramt an Gymnasien) from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany. Before joining the Department of Physics and Astronomy at SJSU, he taught pre-service mathematics and science teachers in the Cal Teach program at UC Berkeley, where he also directed the Cal Teach Summer Research Institute and co-directed the Berkeley Engineering Research Experiences for Teachers (BERET) program.