Home
Victor Sampson

Victor Sampson

Dr. Sampson's research examines how students participate in argumentation in the context of science, engineering, and mathematics and ways to make the interactions that take place between students, materials, and ideas more productive in terms of learning. His current work focuses on the ways students support, evaluate, and revise ideas when attempting to develop explanations or solutions to problems, group and individual meaning making during episodes of argumentation, the development of innovative instructional materials and strategies, and how to support teachers in making classroom instruction more equitable and inclusive. He has published numerous articles, book chapters and books related to these issues. He has received several awards for his scholarship, including the 2008 National Association for Research in Science Teaching Outstanding Dissertation award and the 2012 National Association for Research in Science Teaching Early Career award.

Dr. Sampson teaches both undergraduate and graduate level science education courses that focus on how people learn, instructional design, and assessment. His teaching philosophy is rooted in theories of learning that stress the importance of experience, interaction with others, the evaluation of alternative ideas, and metacognition. As a result, his courses tend to engage students in cycles of inquiry, reading, discussion, and a project that requires the application of new ideas and principles to authentic problems.

Blanchard, M. & Sampson, V. (2018). Fostering Impactful Research Experiences for Teachers (RETs). EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(1), 4635–4649.

Grooms, J., Sampson, V. & Enderle, P. (2018). How concept familiarity and experience with scientific argumentation are related to the way groups participate in an episode of argumentation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. doi:10.1002/tea.21451.

Sampson, V., Murphy, A., Lipscomb, K. & Hutner, T. (2018). Argument-Driven Inquiry in Middle School Earth Space Science: Lab investigations for grades 6-10. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Strimaitis, A., Southerland, S., Sampson, V., Enderle, P. & Grooms, J. (2017). Promoting Equitable Biology Lab Instruction by Engaging All Students in a Broad Range of Science Practices: An Exploratory Study. School Science and Mathematics, 117(3-4), 92–103.

Schellinger, J., Mendenhall, A., Alemanne, N., Southerland, S., Sampson, V., Douglas, I., Kazmer, M. & Marty, P. (2017). "Doing Science" in Elementary School: Using Digital Technology to Foster the Development of Elementary Students' Understandings of Scientific Inquiry. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(8), 4635–4649.

Sampson, V., Hutner, T., FitzPatrick, D. & LaMee, A. (2017). Argument-Driven Inquiry in Physics Volume 1: Mechanics lab investigations for grades 9-12. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Grooms, J., Enderle, P., Murphy, A., Hutner, T. & Sampson, V. (2016). Argument-Driven Inquiry in Physical Science: Lab investigations for grades 6-8. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Walker, J., Sampson, V., Southerland, S. & Enderle, P. (2016). Using laboratory to engage students in science practices. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 17, 1098–1113.

Enderle, P., Gleim, L., Granger, E., Grooms, J., Hester, M., Murphy, A., Sampson, V. & Southerland, S. (2015). Argument-Driven Inquiry in Life Science: Lab investigations for grades 6-8. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Grooms, J., Enderle, P. & Sampson, V. (2015). Coordinating Scientific Argumentation and the Next Generation Science Standards through Argument Driven Inquiry. Science Educator, 24(1), 45–50.

Sampson, V., Enderle, P., Gleim, L., Grooms, J., Hester, M., Southerland, S. & Wilson, K. (2014). Argument-Driven Inquiry in Biology: Lab investigations for grades 9-12. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Sampson, V., Carafano, P., Enderle, P., Fannin, S., Grooms, J., Southerland, S., Stallworth, C. & Williams, K. (2014). Argument-Driven Inquiry in Chemistry: Lab investigations for grades 9-12. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Grooms, J., Sampson, V. & Golden, B. (2014). Comparing the effectiveness of verification and inquiry laboratories in supporting undergraduate science students in constructing arguments around socioscientific issues. International Journal of Science Education, 36(9), 1412–1433.

Walker, J. & Sampson, V. (2013). Learning to argue and arguing to learn in science: Argument-Driven Inquiry as a way to help undergraduate chemistry students learn how to construct arguments and engage in argumentation during a laboratory course. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 50(50), 561–596.

Sampson, V., Enderle, P., Grooms, J. & Witte, S. (2013). Writing to learn and learning to write during the school science laboratory: Helping middle and high school students develop argumentative writing skills as they learn core ideas. Science Education, 97(5), 643–670.

Sampson, V. & Walker, J. (2012). Argument-Driven Inquiry as a way to help undergraduate students write to learn by learning to write in chemistry. International Journal of Science Education, 34(10), 1443–1485.

Granger, E., Bevis, T., Saka, Y., Southerland, S., Sampson, V. & Tate, R. (2012). The efficacy of student-centered instruction in supporting science learning. Science, 338(105), 105–108.

Sampson, V. & Blanchard, M. (2012). Science teachers and scientific argumentation: Trends in views and practice. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 49(9), 1122–1148.

Sampson, V. & Clark, D. (2011). A comparison of the collaborative scientific argumentation practices in two high and two low performing groups. Research in Science education, 41(1), 63–97.

Sampson, V., Grooms, J. & Walker, J. (2011). Argument-Driven Inquiry as a way to help students learn how to participate in scientific argumentation and craft written arguments: An exploratory study. Science Education, 95(2), 217–257.

Blanchard, M., Southerland, S., Osborne, J., Sampson, V., Annetta, L. & Granger, E. (2010). Is inquiry possible in light of accountability? A quantitative comparison of the relative effectiveness of guided inquiry and traditional verification laboratory instruction. Science Education, 94(4), 577–616.

Sampson, V. & Clark, D. (2009). The impact of collaboration on the outcomes of scientific argumentation. Science Education, 93(3), 448–484.

Sampson, V. & Clark, D. (2008). Assessment of the ways students generate arguments in science education: Current perspectives and recommendations for future directions. Science Education, 92(3), 447–472.

Clark, D. & Sampson, V. (2008). Assessing dialogic argumentation in online environments to relate structure, grounds, and conceptual quality. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(3), 293–321.

The Development of a New Instructional Approach to Teach Engineering in Middle School Science Classrooms
The goal of this project is to develop a new instructional approach that helps middle school student learn engineering design in science classrooms. Funded by the National Science Foundation, EEC Program.

2016-2017 Texas Mathematics and Science Partnership (TxMSP) Professional Development Network, Cycle 2
The goal of this project is to provide professional development to mathematics and science teachers by funding and supporting mathematics and science regional collaboratives throughout the state of Texas. Funded by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) Program.

Integration of Environmental Chemistry and Computing to Advance Evidence-based Reasoning, Problem Solving, and Computational Thinking in Middle School Students
The goal of this project is to develop a new instructional approach that helps middle school student learn evidence-based reasoning, problem solving, and computational thinking. Funded by the National Science Foundation, STEM+C Program.

Promoting Scientific Explorers Among Students with Learning Disabilities: The Design and Testing of a Grade 2 Science Program Focused on Earth's Systems
The goal of this project is to iteratively develop and rigorously test the promise of a core science program aimed at promoting an early foundation for learning science among all second grade students, including students with learning disabilities and dyslexia. Specifically, the Scientific Explorers program will be designed to improve students' knowledge and understanding of disciplinary core ideas and cross-cutting concepts related to Earth's Systems in the Next Generation Science Standards. A second aim of this project is to develop and empirically validate a science assessment that measures students' knowledge and application of disciplinary core ideas and practices related to Earth's Systems. Funded by the National Science Foundation, Discovery Research K-12 competition.

Elizabeth Massey Chair in Education Fellowship, University of Texas at Austin (2017 - 2018)

NSTA Fellow, National Science Teachers Association (2017)

Elizabeth Massey Chair in Education Fellowship, The University of Texas at Austin (2016 - 2017)

Elizabeth Glenadine Gibb Teaching Fellowship, The University of Texas at Austin (2015 - 2016)

Elizabeth Glenadine Gibb Teaching Fellowship, The University of Texas at Austin (2014 - 2015)

The NARST Early Career Research Award, National Association for Research in Science Teaching (2012)

The College of Education Faculty Research Award, Florida State University (2012)

The NARST Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Research Award, National Association for Research in Science Teaching (2008)

Year	Semester	Course
2018	Spring	EDC 365E: Project-Based Instruction
2018	Spring	STM 390: 2-Rsch Tch & Tchr Dev Stem Ed
2017	Fall	EDC 365E: Project-Based Instruction
2017	Spring	STM 390: 2-Rsch Tch & Tchr Dev Stem Ed
2016	Fall	EDC 365E: Project-Based Instruction
2016	Spring	EDC 365E: Project-Based Instruction
2015	Fall	EDC 365E: Project-Based Instruction
2015	Fall	STM 390T: Assessment Of Stem Practices
2015	Summer	STM n390: 1-Equity In Stem Educ
2015	Spring	EDC 365E: Project-Based Instruction
2014	Fall	EDC 365E: Project-Based Instruction

Find Other Faculty