Frances K. Harper is an associate professor of STEM (Mathematics) education in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Unit Head of the Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching (ILT) in Early Childhood, Design and Technology, and STEM Unit.

Her research agenda focuses on the conditions across both formal and informal education that promote educational equity in STEM, especially mathematics. Specifically, she conceptualizes educational equity as broadening what counts as mathematics, who does mathematics, and for what purposes, so that every learner can develop a sense of belonging in STEM without compromising who they are as a person. Accordingly, learners develop a mathematics identity that serves as the foundation for participating effectively in STEM contexts and for using STEM to better society. As a community-engaged scholar, she does research in partnership with critical stakeholders in STEM education – students, teachers, and families. Her scholarship has direct benefits for her partners and contributes to the field’s understanding of the interconnected nature of teaching and learning across classroom, home, and community settings. Research on the relationships between classroom teaching and learning is prolific, but few researchers aim to blur the boundaries between classroom learning and home- and community- based learning. Harper seeks to make an intellectual contribution by laying the groundwork for innovative educational models that encourage learners to see themselves in STEM.

personal website: http://francesharper.com