Educational Foundations Doctoral Student

Markus Speidel

“Studying the history of science education… inspires me by putting me in touch with the traditions of the field.”

Hometown

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi

Department

Educational Foundations

Related Degrees

  • PhD, Education: Educational Foundations

Position
I am currently the science department head at Nānākuli High & Intermediate School where I teach physical science, physics, and AP physics.

Why did you decide to pursue a doctoral degree?
Getting a PhD has been a goal since childhood; it just seemed the thing to do.

How did you become interested in educational foundations?
I became interested in educational foundations when I took a class with Professor Hunter McEwan early on. All of the professors have been great, and the program offers the broad picture and deeper understanding that I’ve always sought.

How will your program in EDEF help you make a difference in the field of education?
Studying the history of science education improves my practice not only by enriching my understanding of why I teach what I do the way I do, but it also inspires me by putting me in touch with the traditions of the field.

Briefly describe your road to graduate school.
The hard part was not choosing a program or the COE, but rather choosing to become a teacher. That was the hard part; everything else just fell into place after that. The faculty and staff are what make the college, and I honestly would not have stayed on if it weren’t for them.  They have variously pushed me or held me back as the time demanded and generally made me who I am.

What are your future post-doc plans?
I am not yet sure what I want to do after I finish. I may well decide to stay on in the classroom and try to be a better leader for my department. Or, perhaps I’ll move to the mainland and seek new opportunities there with my wife Maryam. Either way, I will carry what I learned here with me.

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