Abraham Arcavi
is a professor in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. He works on the learning mathematics, the design of learning materials and teachers’ professional development. He currently leads the VIDEO-LM Project for watching and discussing authentic videotaped lessons with an ad hoc framework and leads teacher communities who plan lessons together, try them out and then redesign them. He has served as the Secretary General of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction and on several national and international committees. He has authored books and more than 80 papers and chapters in books. In 2019 he received the Award for Interdisciplinary Excellence in Mathematics Education from the Texas A&M University.
Michal Armoni
is an associate professor in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She received her PhD degree from Tel Aviv University’s School of Education, and her BA and MSc degrees in computer science from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. She has been engaged in computer science education for more than 25 years as an educator, a curriculum developer, and a researcher. She has co-authored several computer science textbooks for high school and middle school. Her research focuses on the processes of teaching and learning computer science, through the prism of fundamental computer science ideas.
Ron Blonder
is an associate professor in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She is the head of the Chemistry Group and the head of the Rothschild–Weizmann Master’s Program for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Her research focuses on chemistry teachers’ professional development in the context of contemporary science, using innovative technological tools and environments. She has published over 80 peer-reviewed and invited papers and book chapters in which she explores chemistry teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and knowledge development when they learn contemporary research in chemistry (mainly nanochemistry) and when they incorporate technological tools in their chemistry teaching. She has also investigated differentiated instruction in heterogeneous chemistry classes with and without the aid of technology to promote personalization in chemistry
Miriam Carmeli
has been a member of the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science since 1986. She coordinated the Rothschild–Weizmann Program for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2008–2017 and participated in the team that designed the structure and contents of the program. Her main areas of activity include research, evaluation and implementation of innovative curricular projects in science education, and professional development frameworks for science teachers and leading teachers. She has been in charge of preparing reports on a wide range of departmental projects for a variety of stakeholders (e.g., the Jewish Agency, the Ministry of Education). Miriam is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the fields of statistics and sociology.
Jason Cooper
is an associate staff scientist in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. His research concerns various aspects of teacher knowledge and professional development, with a particular focus on the relevance of advanced mathematics for teaching in primary and secondary schools. Much of his work seeks to understand the learning that takes place through interactions among different communities of mathematics education – teachers, mathematicians and education researchers, expansive learning that yields insights that are not available to any of these communities on their own.
Rachel Rosanne Eidelman
designed and developed COBLE (Chemistry Online Blended Learning Environment), a 3-year chemistry course for high-school students in collaboration with Dr. Yael Shwartz, and conducts research on the different aspects of online learning. She is currently serving as a senior pedagogical advisor and teacher for the COBLE project. Dr. Eidelman is an experienced high-school chemistry teacher, teaches in academia, develops online materials and courses, and owns a company that markets online pedagogical and technological knowledge.
Ruhama Even
is a professor (emerita) in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Her long-term research and development work is structured around three main interrelated foci: the professional education and development of mathematics teachers, mathematics curriculum development
Bat-Sheva Eylon
is a professor (emerita) in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She acted as head of the department in 2008–2015 and as pedagogical head of the Rothschild–Weizmann Master’s Program for Excellence in Science Teaching. She is a Fellow of the AAAS and recipient of the Israeli EMET Prize in Education for 2015. She studies physics learning and teaching (grades 7–12), and professional development of teachers and teacher educators. She has headed research-based curriculum and teacher professional-development programs in science and technology. She has a BSc degree in physics and mathematics, an MSc degree in physics, and a PhD degree in science and mathematics education from the University of California at Berkeley.
Alex Friedlander
is a retired senior staff scientist, presently working as academic advisor in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. He is a curriculum designer, researcher, teacher and teacher educator. His interests lie in the domains of curriculum development, classroom practice, work with mathematically advanced students, learning and teaching of algebra, student assessment, mathematical literacy, and context-based learning. He also served as a member of the committee for the design of the national syllabus for teaching mathematics in elementary schools, the committee for the design of the national syllabus for teaching mathematics in teacher colleges, and the committee for the assessment of mathematical achievement at the elementary-school level.
Nurit Hadas
is a retired staff member, presently working as an academic advisor in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She is a curriculum designer, teacher, teacher educator, and researcher. She led a curriculum project aimed at investigating the learning profile of math underachievers, and consequently designed the corresponding learning materials, aimed to ensure their success in the matriculation exams. She was also involved in the design of learning materials for students at the junior-high school level.
Rina Hershkowitz
is a founding member of the Mathematics Group in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science, and is presently an academic advisor in the department. Her activities focus on curriculum design, in-service teacher education and formative evaluation. She led some of the main curriculum projects of the Mathematics Group. She is also involved in math-education research. Her main interests lie in the domain of “the theoretical and practical views of learning and teaching geometry” and “knowledge shifts in the classroom.” She was a member of the committee for the design of the national syllabus for teaching mathematics in high school, and served as president of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education.
Avi Hofstein
is a professor (emeritus) who has served for over 50 years as senior member of the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science, as head of the Chemistry Group and head of the department. Over the years, he has been involved in chemistry curriculum development, implementation (to include professional development of chemistry teachers) and research. His 150 publications cover, among others, effectiveness of the chemistry laboratory, science classroom learning environments, and the affective domain. In 2016, he received the ACS award for his achievements in understanding the field of learning in and from chemistry laboratories. In 2017, he was given the DCRA by the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST).
Ronnie Karsenty
is a senior staff scientist in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She specializes in professionalization processes of secondary mathematics teachers and professional development facilitators. She initiated, directed and researched several professional development projects, such as SHLAV and VIDEO-LM, and is currently co-head of the Math-VALUE project that conducts Lesson Study professional learning communities across Israel. Dr. Karsenty is the recipient of several awards, including the Maxine Singer Prize for Outstanding Scientists, awarded by the Scientific Council of the Weizmann Institute. She collaborates with international mathematics education experts from many countries in joint projects, working groups and research.
is an associate professor in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. His research is in the area of teaching and learning mathematics through problem solving and problem posing, from middle school to university. Part of his research is devoted to exploring the mechanisms of problem solving and problem posing in choice-affluent learning environments, such as dialogical mathematics classrooms or online problem-solving forums. Another part of his research focuses on exploring the potential of teacher–researcher partnerships for jointly investigating teaching and learning mathematics through problem solving.
Dorothy Langley
is on the academic staff of the Faculty of Instructional Technologies at the Holon Institute of Technology. Dr. Langley has been involved in physics education for many years, as a high-school physics teacher, and as a member of the Physics Group in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where she also earned her MSc and PhD degrees for development and research of inquiry-oriented, computer-based learning materials. She was involved in the “Physics and Industry” program (2004–2015) and in the initial implementation of the Research Physics program and training of student research project mentors.
Ohad Levkovich
is the head of the National Center for High-school Biology Teachers in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science, and serves as a high-school biotechnology teacher. Dr. Levkovich holds a BSc degree in biology (from Bar-Ilan University), an MSc degree in molecular genetics (from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem) and a PhD degree in science education (from the Weizmann Institute of Science). He has experience in high-school teaching, development of teaching and learning materials, and professional development of teachers. He studies learning using authentic scientific tools and bioinformatics.
Smadar Levy
explores the continuing professional development of physics teachers and teacher leaders. Since 2017, she has led the Israeli Network of Professional Learning Communities for Physics Teachers. Dr. Levy obtained an MSc degree in science education from Tel Aviv University (2000), and a PhD degree in science education from the Weizmann Institute of Science (2017). She was a high-school physics teacher for many years. She won the Orly Kaplan Award
Rachel Mamlok-Naaman
is from the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science, studied chemistry and chemistry education. Until September 2020, she was the head of the National Center for Chemistry Teachers, and until June 2016, served as the coordinator of the Chemistry Group in the Department of Science Teaching. She was the coordinator of chemistry teachers’ programs in the framework of the Rothschild–Weizmann Master’s Program for science teachers, and of projects in the framework of the European Union in Israel. In addition, Dr. Mamlok-Naaman is the chair of EuCheMS DivCED, an ACS titular member, and serves on editorial and advisory boards of science education journals and organizations. Her publications focus on topics related to student learning and to teachers’ professional development.
Nir Orion
is a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science and a pioneer in earth science education. His innovations range from kindergarten to high-school research projects. He and his research group have developed about 50 science programs, including hundreds of inquiry-based activities for the laboratory and outdoor learning environments. His curriculum materials promote the development of environmental insight through the earth systems approach, and his materials and methods are disseminated worldwide through workshops for science teachers in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay and the United States. In 2012, he received the prestigious IUGS Science Excellence Award for his contribution for Earth science Education.
Ilka Parchmann
is a professor in Chemistry Education at Kiel University and Head of the Department of Chemistry Education at the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, IPN, in Kiel. She is currently the speaker of the IPN research line science communication and enrichment of learning.
Professor Parchmann has a teaching degree as a secondary-school teacher for chemistry and biology, and a PhD and further qualification in chemistry education. Her fields of research and development build on this expertise and combine design-based research approaches with investigations of interactions and effects in science outreach and learning environments. Exemplary programs creating interfaces between science and science education are Chemie im Kontext for school learning, the Kieler Forschungswerkstatt as a laboratory
Zahava Scherz
has been a senior research fellow of the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She has a BSc degree in chemistry, MSc degree in biophysics, and a doctorate in science education. Dr. Scherz has conducted research and development in the fields of artificial intelligence, learning skills in science, attitudes and perceptions about science, professional development of leading science teachers and professional learning communities. Her program LSS (Learning Skills for Science) has been adopted by thousands of schools in England and other countries. Dr. Scherz established and directed the Israel National Center for Science & Technology Teachers. She teaches graduate courses and has co-supervised 14 graduate students.
Alan Schoenfeld
is the Elizabeth and Edward Conner Professor of Education and Affiliated Professor of Mathematics at the University of California at Berkeley. A mathematician by training who studies issues of mathematical thinking, teaching, and learning, he has served as President of the American Educational Research Association and been awarded the Felix Klein Award for life-time achievement in mathematics education research by the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction. His research has focused on mathematical problem solving, models of the teaching process, and understanding aspects of learning environments, from the student perspective. His current research focus is the Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) Framework, which concerns the creation and support of learning environments from which students emerge being knowledgeable and flexible thinkers and problem solvers.
Yael Shwartz
is a senior staff scientist in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She developed ‘chemistry on line’ – a 3-year chemistry course for high-school students, and has conducted research on different aspects of online learning, in collaboration with Dr. Rachel Rosanne Eidelman. Dr. Shwartz is the head of the National Center for Junior High School Science and Technology Teachers. As part of her role there, she is managing 20 professional learning communities of teachers. She is currently leading the development of the PeTeL (Personalized Teaching and Learning) online environment for middle-school science. Her research interests focus on science literacy for all, and professional development of teachers. She has been involved
Michal Tabach
is a professor in the School of Education at Tel Aviv University. Her main interests lie in the domain of integrating technology in mathematics education. As a young teacher, she taught mathematics with open digital tools on a regular basis, and became involved in research on student learning in a technological environment based on these tools. Consequently, she became involved in teacher education as a key factor in integrating technology into everyday school practices. She is currently leading two projects aimed at helping practicing teachers integrate technology into their practice, based on their pedagogical and mathematical needs.
Anat Yarden
is a professor, head of the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science, and head of the Biology Group in this department. She holds an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Sciences (from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem), an MSc and PhD degree in molecular biology (from the Weizmann Institute of Science), and carried out postdoctoral training in genetics (at Stanford University). The primary theme in all of her academic activities has been adapting practices employed by scientists to the processes by which students and teachers accumulate and advance their knowledge within the discipline of biology.
Edit Yerushalmi
is an associate professor and head of the Physics Education Research Group in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. The group is involved in research, curricular design and operation of nationwide professional development frameworks. Current projects include: the National Physics Teacher Center, “Gateway to Physics” – middle-school inquiry units; the National Network of Physics Professional Learning Communities; SEMEL – disciplinary internship workshops; “Interdisciplinary Computational Science” – advanced-level school subject; and the “Research Physics” training program for high-school teachers. She holds an MSc degree in physics from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, a PhD degree in science education from the Weizmann Institute of Science, and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Physics Department at the University of Minnesota.