Rate My Professor Hilda Borko

Hilda Borko is the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Charles E. Ducommun Professor in the Stanford Graduate School of Education. She earned her B.A. in Psychology in 1971, M.A. in Philosophy of Education in 1973, and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology in 1978, all from the University of California, Los Angeles. She also holds a California State Elementary Teaching Credential with specialization in Mental Retardation from the University of Southern California in 1972. Borko's career includes serving as Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University since 2007, Professor and Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Colorado, Boulder from 1991 to 2007, Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Maryland, College Park from 1985 to 1991, Associate and Assistant Professor in the Division of Curriculum and Instruction at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University from 1980 to 1985, and Educational Evaluator at System Development Corporation from 1978 to 1980.

Borko's research examines teachers’ instructional practices, the process of learning to teach, the impact of teacher professional development programs on teachers and students, and the preparation of professional development leaders, with emphasis on mathematics and science education. She leads initiatives such as the Problem-Solving Cycle model of mathematics professional development, which engages teachers in collaborative workshops centered on rich mathematical tasks, video analysis of classroom implementation, and analysis of student reasoning. Her projects involve partnerships with school districts, including San Francisco Unified School District, to improve teaching practices and build internal capacity for sustaining professional development. Notable publications include 'Learning to Lead: an Approach to Mathematics Teacher Leader Development' (2021), 'Teachers' engagement with student mathematical agency and authority in school-based professional learning' (2023), and 'The indispensable role of the goal construct in understanding and improving teaching practice' (2023). Borko served as President of the American Educational Research Association from 2003 to 2004, editor of the Journal of Teacher Education, and interim editor of Educational Researcher. She is a member of the National Academy of Education and received the 2014 Excellence in Scholarship in Mathematics Teacher Education Award from the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators.