About

Patricia A. Alexander is a Distinguished University Professor, the Jean Mullan Professor of Literacy, and a Distinguished Scholar-Teacher in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology at the University of Maryland. She heads the Disciplined Reading and Learning Research Laboratory and is a member of the National Academy of Education. Her areas of expertise include learning, expertise development, relational reasoning, critical-analytic thinking, and the effects of medium and multimedia on learning. Dr. Alexander has published over 340 articles, books, chapters, and monographs, and has presented more than 400 papers or invited addresses at national and international conferences. She serves on the editorial boards for 12 leading educational journals and has received numerous honors, including the Oscar S. Causey Award, the Sylvia Scribner Career Award, and the Edward Lee Thorndike Award for Career Achievement in Educational Psychology. Her research focuses on domain-specific learning, epistemic beliefs, text-based learning, and the interplay of knowledge, strategies, and motivation in academic development. She is a member of several professional societies, including the American Psychological Association, the American Educational Research Association, and the Society for Text and Discourse.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Linguistics
• Mathematics education
• Psychology
• Political Science
• Sociology
• Pedagogy
• Management science
• Multimedia
• Cognitive psychology
• Engineering ethics
• Engineering
• Communication
• Knowledge management
• Epistemology
• Medicine
• Social psychology

Selected publications

• Componential modeling of argumentative essay writing from multiple online sources: a Bayesian network approach

  Frontiers in Psychology · 2025-05-15 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Introduction: Writing argumentative essays using multiple sources is a critical skill for college students, yet it remains a significant challenge. Despite previous research acknowledging this difficulty, the specific dynamics of the argumentative essay writing process and where breakdowns occur remain unclear. Methods: College students wrote argumentative essays on a controversial topic after reading multiple documents. The data were fitted to two competing theory-based Bayesian networks, a method highly suited to the modeling of cognitive processes identified with argumentative writing. Results: The best-fitting model showed that the argumentative essay task is both initiated and sustained by higher-order integration components. This model lends support to the description of the process of argumentation writing from multiple documents put forth by the stage-based Integrated Framework of Multiple Texts. Further, we found that the process of argumentation falters due to students' inability to frame counterarguments and their non-optimal critical analysis. Discussion: This research not only enriches our understanding of the mechanics of argumentative writing from multiple sources, but the innovative Bayesian approach could lead to further refinement of the model by future researchers.

  PublisherDOI

• Is Relational Reasoning Ability Malleable?

  The Journal of Experimental Education · 2025-07-13

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Resurrecting the “black-box” conundrum

  Behavioral and Brain Sciences · 2025-01-01 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  In their article, Murayama and Jach contend that a mental computational model demonstrates that high-level motivations are emergent properties from underlying cognitive processes rather than instigators of behaviors. Despite points of agreement with the authors' critiques of the motivation literature, I argue that their claim of dismantling the black box of the human mind has been constructed on shaking grounds.

  PublisherDOI

• Measuring transformative learning in STEM: validating the transformative learning scale for the innovation mindset (TLSIM) in experiential programs

  Entrepreneurship Education · 2025-06-23 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract The transformative learning scale for the innovation mindset (TLSIM) is an instrument that effectively assesses both process-related experiences and outcome-oriented shifts in students’ self-awareness, open-mindedness, and innovation capabilities resulting from participation in innovation competitions and programs (ICPs), namely, experiential learning opportunities. It was developed using transformative learning theory (TLT) and the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network’s (KEEN) 3Cs framework (Curiosity, Connections, and Creating Value). The study involved developing scale items, validating content and face validity through expert reviews and student focus groups, as well as conducting psychometric analysis using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on data collected from 291 STEM students (70.2% from engineering) who participated in ICPs. The CFA results showed strong factor loadings across most constructs, with Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) values within acceptable limits, confirming the robustness of the TLSIM for measuring both process-oriented (RMSEA = 0.047, CFI = 0.929) and outcome-oriented constructs (RMSEA = 0.052, CFI = 0.901) in the development of an innovation mindset. The analysis showed that TLSIM is a reliable and valid instrument with strong psychometric properties for measuring key constructs related to the innovation mindset. TLSIM can capture significant changes in students’ beliefs, attitudes, and self-perceptions regarding innovation. Future research should refine TLSIM across various disciplines.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Handbook of Research on Learning and Instruction

  2025-10-28 · 1 citations

  book
  PublisherDOI

• A Critical Analysis of Critical Thinking Interventions in Higher Education

  Review of Educational Research · 2025-08-12 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author

  Critical thinking is praised as the hallmark of cognitive development and a raison d’être for higher education. In this review, we analyzed critical thinking interventions in higher education with regard to participant characteristics; focus, length, and duration of interventions; and specific measurement and data-analytic treatment. Forty-five studies published between 2010 and 2023 were reviewed. One key finding from this analysis was the determination that most researchers’ definitions of critical thinking centered on how it manifests (procedural) rather than on its inherent nature (ontological). Further, the measures used were frequently misaligned with researchers’ definitions. Moreover, a lack of methodological details precluded thorough analyses of intervention characteristics vis-à-vis reported outcomes and raised questions about the causal conclusions reached. Among the implications discussed are the need for conceptual refinement, greater internal consistency between the conception and measurement, more prudent data-analytic approaches, and richer descriptions of the implemented intervention, study participants, and context.

  PublisherDOI

• Introduction to Research on Instruction

  2025-10-28

  book-chapter

  “And so everywhere the teaching must agree with the psychology, but need not necessarily be the only kind of teaching that would so agree; for many diverse methods of teaching may equally well agree with psychological laws.”

  PublisherDOI

• Barry J. Zimmerman’s Enduring Legacy: The Inspiring Fusion of Self-Regulated Learning Theory, Practice, and Mentorship

  Educational Psychology Review · 2025-08-02 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract In this tribute, Barry J. Zimmerman, a distinguished academic and influential scholar, is commemorated for his remarkable contributions to education and research following his passing on February 17th, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona. Renowned for his visionary approach to teaching and human learning, Zimmerman challenged traditional paradigms and fostered innovative perspectives on the conceptualization, assessment, and application of educational practices. His distinguished contributions, including foundational books, influential peer-reviewed articles, and a range of prestigious honors, reflect his intellectual depth and unwavering dedication to advancing the fields of educational psychology, self-regulated learning (SRL), and motivation. Throughout his career, Zimmerman explored the dynamic interplay between learners’ beliefs, behaviors, and emotions across diverse contexts such as academics, sports, music, and health. The reflections in this tribute highlight how his groundbreaking theoretical frameworks and experimental research have profoundly shaped educational scholarship and practice, while also underscoring the lasting impact of mentoring and teaching on colleagues and students alike. Zimmerman’s humility, generosity, and compassion have solidified his legacy as a cornerstone of academic excellence, inspiring future generations to build upon his foundational contributions to education and SRL.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evolution of a Learning Theory: In Praise of Scientific Speculation

  Educational Psychology Review · 2024-02-14 · 7 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Hybridizing Psychological Theories: Weighing the Ends Against the Means

  Educational Psychology Review · 2024-02-16 · 5 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Philip H. Winne

  Simon Fraser University

  38 shared

• P. Karen Murphy

  34 shared

• Jonna M. Kulikowich

  Pennsylvania State University

  22 shared

• Alexandra List

  Pennsylvania State University

  20 shared

• Tamara L. Jetton

  15 shared

• Emily M. Grossnickle

  Georgetown University

  13 shared

• Richard E. Mayer

  10 shared

• C. Stephen White

  10 shared

Labs

• Disciplined Reading and Learning Research LabPI

Awards & honors

• Oscar S. Causey Award for outstanding contributions to liter…
• Career Achievement in Educational Psychology from APA Divisi…
• Sylvia Scribner Career Award from AERA Division C
• Mercator Fellowship, Mercator Foundation, Germany 2024-2027
• K-Collaboration Hub(K-CLUB) Program at Korea University, 202…