Patricia Alexander

Who is Patricia Alexander?

Patricia A. Alexander is an educational psychologist who has conducted notable research on the role of individual difference, strategic processing, and interest in students' learning. She is currently Professor and Distinguished Scholar/Teacher in the Department of Human Development in the Faculty of Education at the University of Maryland.

Alexander has been a featured speaker at major research conferences, including the annual meetings of the National Reading Conference, the American Psychological Association, and the American Educational Research Association. She has authored an educational psychology textbook, and has served as editor of prominent research journals and books in educational psychology.

At the University of Maryland, she is also the head of The Disciplined Reading and Learning Research Lab. The lab, staffed mostly by graduate students, is dedicated to the study of psychology in teaching and learning. Alexander's particular interests include the study of reading, academic development, domain learning, and the knowledge, interests, and beliefs of students and teachers. Her lab is an evolving learning environment that allows students to exchange ideas and conduct original empirical research.