Deepika Menon

Associate Professor

Department of Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Address: CPEH 270
Lincoln NE 68588-0233
Phone: 402-472-2231 On-campus 2-2231
Email: dmenon2@unl.edu

Dr. Deepika Menon is an Associate Professor of Science Education in the Department of Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education (TLTE) housed in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Prior to joining TLTE, Dr. Menon was a faculty member in the Department of Physics, Astronomy & Geosciences at Towson University, Maryland.

Grounded by issues related to reforms in teacher education, Dr. Menon’s research focuses on preservice and in-service science teacher education. She is particularly interested in investigating course-related factors that support the development of preservice elementary teacher self-efficacy and identity within the elementary science teacher preparation programs, and the intersection of constructs such as science teaching self-efficacy and science attitudes and their role in science teacher identity development. Dr. Menon’s current research and teaching projects focus on mobile technologies in science education across educational settings. Dr. Menon has published her work in several top-tier science education journals.

Google Scholar citations

Education

Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction (Physics/Science Education), University of Missouri-Columbia (2015)
M.Ed. Science Education, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India (2007)
M.Sc. Physics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Punjab, India (2002)
B.Sc. Physics Honors, Regional Institute of Education, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India (2000)
B.Ed. Science Education (Middle School Certification), Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India (2000)

Recent Publications:

Menon, D., Wieselmann, J., Haines, S., & Asim, S., Koch, A., ^Cox, D. Preservice elementary teachers’ integrated STEM teaching self-efficacy: Contributing Sources Within STEM Education Courses. AERA Open, 11(1), 1-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584251321472

Menon, D., ^Johnson, A., ^Cox, D., Nguyen, U., Jeon, M., & Thomas, A. (2025). STEM-themed pathways within elementary preservice methods coursework: Benefits and challenges associated with designing and implementing integrated STEM projects. School Science and Mathematics. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.18321

Wieselmann, J. R., Menon, D., Price, B. C., Johnson, A., Asim, S., Haines, S., & Morison, G. (2025). What is STEM? Preservice elementary teachers’ conceptions of integrated STEM education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 165, 105108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2025.105108

Menon, D., Wieselmann, J., Haines, S., & Asim, S. (2024). A Meta-synthesis of the literature on science & engineering teaching self-efficacy: Current gaps and future research directions. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2023.2297499

Areas of Expertise:

K-6 Integrated STEM education
K-16 Science Education (Physical science/Physics Education)
Elementary Preservice and In-service Science Teacher Education
Integrated STEM Teaching Self-efficacy and Identity

Honors and Recognition:

2025, Emerging Scholar Research/Creative Activity Award, College of Education and Human Sciences, UNL

Experience:

2025-present, Associate Professor of Science Education, Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education, College of Education and Human Sciences. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE

2020 – 2025 (Spring), Assistant Professor of Science Education (Tenure-track), Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education, College of Education and Human Sciences. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE

2015 – 2020 (spring), Assistant Professor of Science Education (Tenure-track), Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences. Towson University, Towson, MD