Vandana Thadani

Professor Vandana Thadani completed her Ph.D. in Developmental psychology at UCLA. Her research is in educational psychology. Her work aims to understand what variables contribute to potent learning environments, primarily from the vantage point of classroom teaching. In studies funded through the Spencer Foundation, she has used videos of classroom teaching in K12 science to develop measures of teaching practices. This work has examined how teaching practices are related to teachers’ participation in professional development and to their students’ learning. In related research, she has also examined individual-difference (motivational) variables that predict educators’ willingness to engage in teaching-related professional development. Dr. Thadani has worked with K12 teachers and principals, and university faculty members, drawing on research in psychology and education to provide professional development related to teaching. She came to LMU in 2004, after working in program evaluation research for an educational technology consulting firm.