Dr. Thomas Andre is Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and of Psychology at Iowa State University. He received his doctorate in educational psychology
from the University of Illinois, Urbana in 1971.
Andre's research has focused on the role of students' cognitive
activity in learning. His early work focused on the role of questions in learning
from text. Since the mid 1980s, his work has been primarily in the area of science
learning. This work has examined instructional activities designed to promote
the cognitive processing needed for conceptual change, the role of interest
and beliefs in conceptual change, the use of electronic digital technology in
facilitating the learning science concepts, principles, and theories, and how
to help teachers learn to promote effective science learning. His work has been
supported by Regent's Eisenhower Program Funding, Qwest, the U.S. Department
of Education, and the National Science Foundation. Co-edited books include Current
Research on Instruction and Cognitive Classroom Learning, Understanding,
Thinking, Problem-solving. Recent chapters include: "Selected Microinstructional
Methods to Facilitate Knowledge Construction: Implications for Instructional
Design" in Instructional Design: International Perspectives, Vol. I., Theory
and Research, and "Interest, Epistemology and Intentional Conceptual Change",
in Intentional Conceptual Change.