Won Jung Kim, Ph.D., received her bachelor's and master’s degrees from Korea National University of Education, College of Science Education (2004, 2013), and completed her doctoral studies at Michigan State University, College of Education, in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education.
Dr. Kim's research explores and extends the concept of rightful presence in how we work toward equitable and justice-oriented science education. Seeking ways of justice-oriented pedagogies, she has conducted research-practice partnership with youth and educators in local science and community centers in Michigan, and now she is seeking to expand her collaboration with teachers, youth and communities in East San Jose areas and Silicon Valley. Her research aims at supporting young people to empower themselves as rightful and legitimate constructors, users, and critiques of STEM knowledge and practice, living in the complex real world affected by climate threat, information surge, and digital technology.
Her research is grounded in her commitment in teaching and supporting teachers. Prior to her PhD work, she served as a middle school science teacher in her home country of South Korea for twelve years, during which she pursued an MA and published several articles on her work with students. As a teacher, she sought to support and amplify young people’s embodied STEM learning and living (e.g., dance, rap, performance, social action), through which she learned from her students the power of multiple ways of knowing, learning, and being. She has extended this work, taking every opportunity to teach at the university level, including stints working with students becoming both elementary and secondary teachers. Now her practice-informed/centering research focuses on how pre/inservice teachers can help their students have and exercise rightful presence in and through learning STEM, and in making informed decisions and actions.
Dr. Kim has published her research in journals and book chapters, and presented her research at national and international conferences, including the American Educational Research Association (AERA), National Association of Research in Science Teaching, European Science Education Research Association (ESERA), and International Conference of Learning Sciences (ICLS).