Apply to join our doctoral program to begin in Fall 2023! Be sure to apply by January 17, 2023 to become eligible for fellowship consideration.
Join a community of top talent
As a student in our on-campus TSS Ph.D. program, you will explore and rethink the intersections of curriculum, teaching, and teacher education with society and politics in an increasingly diverse world. You, along with your cohort, will be prepared to disrupt the status quo and challenge issues of equity in education through transformational learning. Learn more about what our current students are doing in the program below.
About the program
Students in the Teachers, Schools, and Society program area begin with three foundational courses that encompass our collective identity as scholars and practitioners. These courses center on the history of education; critical pedagogy; and perspectives in curriculum, teaching, and teacher education. In addition, all students in the School of Teaching and Learning take a course focusing on introduction to research in curriculum and instruction, scholars in the field, and expectations of the professoriate.
Building on these foundational courses, students choose one specialization area of focus: Social Foundations. Critical Studies in Race, Ethnicity, and Culture; or Teacher Education Scholarship and Practice.
- Students concentrating in Social Foundations of Education develop expertise in historical, philosophical, and comparative perspectives on the interrelationships between schools and society.
- Students specializing in Critical Studies in Race, Ethnicity, and Culture develop an interdisciplinary perspective towards the critical examination of social forces that create and perpetuate structural inequities relative to educational systems in local and global contexts.
- The Teacher Education Scholarship and Practice specialization focuses on research and practice related to the initial preparation and ongoing professional development of teachers for a democratic society.
Students take at least three courses in the chosen specialization throughout their program. Finally, students are required to take 12 credit hours of research courses, chosen in consultation with their advisor. Additionally, students have opportunities to take electives, additional courses in their chosen specialization, courses in other specializations, and additional research courses.
Upon completion of coursework, students complete qualitative exams that include a dissertation proposal before moving into the dissertation experience.
Assistantships:
Partial funding for up to 4 years of doctoral study is available for qualified students through assistantships that include tuition waivers, a stipend, and health insurance benefits. The most competitive applicants will be considered for full funding through fellowships in the department. TSS faculty oversee assistantships and fellowships to ensure that all students engage in research, teaching, and service during their programs. Assistantship opportunities include teaching undergraduate classes within our teacher education and other related programs, assisting on research grants, supervising teacher candidates during clinical field experiences, and other administrative projects.
Activities Ph.D. students become involved in:
- State and national conference presentations with doctoral students and faculty
- Research projects and publications, helping students become competitive for the job market
- Small, discussion-based seminars in which theory and practice are closely examined
- Collaboration with other doctoral students within the School of Teaching and Learning as well as doctoral students in the TSS specialization area
Accolades
Chonika Coleman-King
Dr. Coleman-KIng is the 2022 recipient of the B.O. Smith Professorship, was co-PI on a second NSF DRK-12 grant, “Culturally-Responsive, Affective-Focused Teaching of Science and Mathematics,” and recently launched the Akwaaba Freedom School with Taryrn Brown, Ph.D.
Nancy Dana
Dr. Dana earned the 2022 Hans C. Olsen Distinguished Teacher Educator Award from the Association of Teacher Educators and was inducted into the UF Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars in Fall 2021. Dr. Dana has been awarded the 2022 David G. Imig Distinguished Service Award from the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED).
Dr. Elyse Hambacher
Dr. Hambacher has worked with students and educators at various levels including pre-service teachers, inservice teachers and administrators, and master’s and PhD students. She has also helped higher education faculty improve their pedagogy as a facilitator for the Association of College and University Educators. Prior to working in higher education, she was a classroom teacher in Miami, FL, and taught English in Kumamoto, Japan.
Erika Davis
Erika was recently awarded a research fellowship with the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Centro) at CUNY and the 2021-22 Rothman Doctoral Fellowship from UF’s Center for Humanities and the Public Sphere, both to support dissertation research. In 2022, Erika won the American Educational Studies Association’s (AESA) 2022 Taylor and Francis Past President’s Award for Outstanding Graduate Research. The title of her research paper is “Race, Education, and Neoliberal City Politics in the New Latinx Diaspora.”
Jalea Turner
Funded by a grant through Learning for Justice (formerly known as Teaching Tolerance), Jalea is creating a social studies curriculum centering on social justice for kindergarten and first grade students at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School.
Lauren Weisberg
Lauren was recognized with a 2022 Graduate Student Teaching Award from the University of Florida Graduate School and a 2022 Rising Star Award from UF’s Center for Teaching Excellence.
Will Atkins
Will was a UF Alumni Association 40 Gators Under 40 Honoree in 2021 and received an outstanding young alumni award from the UF College of Health and Human Performance in 2022.
Rachel Silva
Rachel has received funding from the Evelyn L. Wenzel Memorial Scholarship and a travel award from the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children to participate in the CEC Legislative Summit.
Hank Samuels
Hank was recently awarded the Calvin A. VanderWerf Award for excellence in teaching by the UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the UF Graduate College.
Michael Scofield
Michael is currently working on the Rising Up grant, which was made possible through funding from the Brown Center for Leadership and Service. The project focuses on closing the achievement and opportunity gap for students by providing high-quality learning materials and supplies, social-emotional academic support, as well as a culturally and linguistically sustaining curriculum.
