Alan Schoenfeld

Alan H. Schoenfeld is the Elizabeth and Edward Conner Professor of Education and Affiliated Professor Emeritus in the Department of Mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his BA in Mathematics from Queens College, New York, in 1968, MS in Mathematics from Stanford University in 1969, and PhD in Mathematics from Stanford University in 1973. Schoenfeld began his career as a lecturer at UC Davis in 1973 and joined UC Berkeley in 1975 as a lecturer and research mathematician. Appointed to the Mathematics Department faculty in 1985, he retired from that role in 2023 while serving as Distinguished Professor in the Berkeley School of Education. His research centers on thinking, learning, teaching, assessment, and powerful learning environments in mathematics education. He developed the Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) Framework, which outlines five dimensions of effective instruction: content, cognitive demand, equitable access to content, agency and identity, and formative assessment. Schoenfeld led the Balanced Assessment project and co-led the NSF-sponsored Center for Diversity in Mathematics Education (DiME). He contributed as lead author for grades 9-12 of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, co-authored design specifications for the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium’s mathematics assessments, and participated in developing California Mathematics Framework documents.

Schoenfeld authored seminal books such as Mathematical Problem Solving (1985) and How We Think (2010), along with recent works including Helping Students Become Powerful Mathematics Thinkers: Case Studies of Teaching for Robust Understanding and Mathematics Teaching On Target: A TRU Guide for Enriching Mathematics Teaching at All Grade Levels. He edited or co-edited 24 books, including Assessing Mathematical Proficiency (2007) and Research in Collegiate Mathematics Education II (1996), and published over 300 articles. His honors include the International Commission on Mathematics Instruction’s Felix Klein Medal (2011), AERA's Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education award, the Mathematical Association of America’s Mary P. Dolciani Award (2014), fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Educational Research Association (former President), Kappa Delta Pi laureate status, and election to the U.S. National Academy of Education (former vice President) and International Academy of Education. Schoenfeld served as founding editor of Research in Collegiate Mathematics Education, associate editor of Cognition and Instruction, senior advisor to the NSF Educational Human Resources Directorate, and senior content advisor to the U.S. Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse.