P. Karen Murphy

Pennsylvania State University

Distinguished Professor

Dr. Murphy’s research investigates processes underlying students’ abilities to read and understand text and content, critically examine and evaluate the information presented, and make reasoned judgments from reading. Her ongoing projects pertain to the role of critical-analytic thinking in teaching and learning, promoting high-level comprehension and content area learning through classroom discussion in elementary language arts classrooms and using discourse to enhance content learning and conceptual change in high school physics and chemistry classrooms. Her research is funded by both the Institute of Education Sciences and the National Science Foundation.