About

Andres Bustamante is a developmental psychologist specializing in early childhood science education. He designs and implements play-based science installations in various community spaces such as parks, bus-stops, and grocery stores, aiming to engage families in hands-on scientific activities. Additionally, he utilizes web-mediated platforms to provide ongoing and embedded professional development for early childhood teachers, supporting their engagement in science education. His work maintains an intentional focus on translating rigorous scientific research from the laboratory into meaningful applications within classrooms and communities, thereby fostering early science learning and community engagement.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Communication
• Pedagogy
• Pediatrics
• Medicine
• Economic growth
• Linguistics

Selected publications

• How to Apply a Strengths-Based Approach to Randomized Controlled Trials

  Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness · 2026-01-15

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Enhancing Flexible Transfer of Fractions: The Role of Sequential and Simultaneous Games With Multiple Representations

  Cognitive Science · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  We codesigned and evaluated a brief intervention combining two fraction games: Fraction Ball (played on a basketball court) and Bottle Caps Bonanza (played on a tabletop shuffleboard). Using participatory design principles, we engaged teachers and students in codesigning playful learning experiences aimed at improving knowledge transfer and adding fractions with unlike denominators. Students were randomly assigned within seven treatment classrooms to practice fractions with different denominators on one board simultaneously (N = 87) versus practicing on separate boards sequentially (N = 79). Three comparison classrooms (N = 75) only took the pretest and posttest. Our preregistered models suggested significant impacts on multiple aspects of fraction knowledge, including far transfer and overall fraction knowledge, when comparing both treatment groups to the comparison group. The simultaneous condition performed higher on untimed fraction addition with unequal denominators, though this difference was not statistically significant (b = 0.21, p = .05). Furthermore, students with higher prior knowledge benefited more from the simultaneous condition. We conclude that this playful and accessible intervention can effectively improve students' fraction knowledge.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Generative AI can play a role uplifting family and community in early childhood education

  2026-03-11

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Leveraging community science to encourage a more inclusive and culturally representative developmental science

  British Journal of Developmental Psychology · 2026-03-10

  article

  The field of developmental science is increasingly interested in conducting research that is more representative, equitable, inclusive and generalizable. One way to achieve these aims is to conduct research that positions communities as key collaborators and central contributors to our scientific inquiries. These principles are evident in community science approaches like community-based participatory research (CBPR) and participatory action research (PAR). We argue that CBPR and PAR can be implemented by developmental scientists. Here, we describe two initiatives that utilized CBPR and PAR. The first initiative is Playful Learning Landscapes (PLL). PLL embeds research from the learning sciences into public spaces to offer playful learning opportunities for children and families, and community science practices are leveraged throughout the process. The second initiative is the Galápagos Education and Research Alliance (GERA). GERA harnesses the tools of community science by working directly with communities in the fragile environment of Galápagos to gather data about ecosystem health and build community-based plans for climate change adaptation. Together, these two initiatives offer rich examples of how CBPR and PAR principles engender active participation from the community throughout the design and evaluation of a research project. We discuss the opportunities and challenges of using community-centred approaches.

  PublisherDOI

• Childhood predictors of high school sport participation and effects of participation on young adult activity and mental health

  Annals of Medicine · 2025-01-02 · 9 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: In the United States, sport is a common form of youth physical activity (PA) with demonstrated health benefits. However, limited longitudinal dataexists on the psychosocial determinants and consequences of youth sport participation. This study examined grade 6 (11-12-year-old) predictors of high school organized sport participation and effects of high school sport participation on age 26 behavior, mental health and wellbeing. METHODS: Structural equation models tested relationships using the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD). Half of the sample was male, and played organized sports at ages 15 and 18. Eighty percent of the sample was white. RESULTS: Grade 6 predictors of playing high school sport were: child enjoys PA, parent enjoys PA, parent feels physical education (PE) is important, and vigorous PA minutes/week. Playing sports at ages 15 and 18 was associated with better wellbeing, lower depression, increased sport and fitness activity participation. Enjoyment of PA was directly associated with fitness activities at age 26, more than a decade later. High school sport participation at both age 15 and 18 further mediated relationships between enjoyment with wellbeing and depression at age 26. DISCUSSION: Sport participation is a common accessible means of PA, and participating in sports in high school is associated with better mental health and PA outcomes at age 26. Fostering enjoyment of PA during childhood helps shape PA in early adulthood and adult mental health benefits derived from high school sport participation.

  PublisherDOI

• Sustaining Latine Families’ Cultural Values Through Technology Mediation Practices

  Journal of Latinos and Education · 2025-01-07 · 3 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• “Carlitos the Curious Caterpillar”: Exploring Teacher-AI Co-Creation of Culturally Responsive Educational Materials for Young Learners

  2025-06-23 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• What ”Exactly” Describes Planning in a Math Game-Based Assessment? Introducing Fraction Ball: Exactly

  Proceedings of the ... Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences/Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences · 2025-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  The digital assessment community aims to align assessment design and measurement selection with theory, but many digital assessments fail to establish these theoretical links. In this paper, we introduce Fraction Ball: Exactly (FBE), a digital game-based assessment for planning in a mathematics problem-solving context. Using gameplay learning analytics, we create distinct measurement models for adult and child players. We demonstrate convergent validity of FBE both with the Shallice Tower of London and with mathematical knowledge. We share our approaches to theoretically ground our assessment design, measure selection, and measurement model validation. By theoretically grounding each process, we outline ways in which digital assessment developers can integrate educational theory with assessment design and validation and theorize for themselves.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effect of Tai Chi Practice on the Adaptation to Sensory and Motor Perturbations While Standing in Older Adults

  Applied Sciences · 2025-07-03

  articleOpen access

  Tai Chi provides an age-appropriate exercise to decrease fall risks in older adults. However, the exact mechanism underlying the benefits of Tai Chi practice remains an open question. Thus, this study examined how aging and Tai Chi practice impact adaptation to sensory and motor perturbations while standing. We hypothesized that older Tai Chi practitioners would exhibit a decreased reliance on visual processes as sensory and motor perturbations increased, relative to naive healthy older adults. Using rambling and trembling decompositions of the center of pressure (COP) and frequency-domain features, we examined changes in low (0–0.3 Hz), medium (0.3–1 Hz), and high (1–3 Hz) frequency components, reflecting contributions from the visual, vestibular/somatosensory, and proprioceptive systems, respectively, in healthy young adults (HYA), healthy older adults (HOA), and Tai Chi practicing older adults (TCOA). Our results revealed statistically significant condition-by-group interactions in high-frequency COP-x and rambling-x and COP-y components, medium-frequency COP-y components, and all low-frequency components in COP and trembling (p < 0.05). Further, a significant trial-by-group interaction in high-frequency rambling-y was observed (p < 0.05). These results indicate age and Tai-chi-related differences in modulation of sensory contributions to balance as perturbations increase, and with repeated practice, which merit further investigation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Accumulation of opportunities predicts the educational attainment and adulthood earnings of children born into low- versus higher-income households

  2024-09-05 · 2 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Education scholars theorize that “opportunity gaps” – inequitable access toexperiences and settings that support learning – drive achievement disparities betweenchildren born into poverty versus affluence. In a 26-year longitudinal study of children (n =814) from low- and higher-income families, we examine (1) disparity in the accumulation ofopportunities at home, childcare, school, afterschool, and in the neighborhood from birththrough high school, (2) the extent to which opportunity is linked with educational attainmentand earnings in early adulthood, and (3) whether opportunity is most strongly associated withthese adult outcomes for children from low-income households. We document largeopportunity gaps between children from low- versus higher-income households. Theseopportunity gaps are strongly linked with educational attainment and earnings, particularly forlow-income children, helping explain why household income in early childhood predicts theseoutcomes in adulthood.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Playful Learning Landscapes: Promoting Informal STEM Learning in Public Spaces

  NSF · $2.7M · 2020–2027

Frequent coauthors

• Kathy Hirsh‐Pasek

  Temple University

  19 shared

• Annemarie H. Hindman

  Temple University

  11 shared

• Karlena D. Ochoa

  University of California, Irvine

  11 shared

• June Ahn

  University of California, Irvine

  11 shared

• Daniela Alvarez-Vargas

  University of California, Irvine

  10 shared

• Kreshnik Nasi Begolli

  10 shared

• LuEttaMae Lawrence

  9 shared

• Vanessa N. Bermúdez

  University of California, Irvine

  8 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Psychology

  University of Miami

  2016