Rate My Professor Issam Abi-El-Mona

Issam H. Abi-El-Mona, Ph.D., serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Content Area Teacher Education at Rowan University College of Education. He obtained his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2007, along with a Master of Science in Science Education and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the American University of Beirut. With more than 25 years of teaching experience at elementary, middle, and high school levels in American international schools abroad, he has collaborated with the United Nations on global education development initiatives and participated in developing the science curriculum implemented by the Lebanese government. At Rowan, he previously chaired the Department of Teacher Education, founded and chaired the Department of STEAM Education, and now heads the science education program while coordinating the MA STEM in Education program. He also works on outreach training programs with the Colleges of Science & Mathematics and Engineering.

Abi-El-Mona's research specializes in science education reform strategies, inquiry-based models, and the integration of scientific argumentation in classroom practices. His key publications encompass "Mobile learning: Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of integrating iPads into future teaching" (Education and Information Technologies, 2023, with Y.-C. Kuo and Y.-T. Kuo), "Perceptions of the nature and 'goodness' of argument among college students, science teachers, and scientists" (International Journal of Science Education, 2011), "The Influence of Mind Mapping on Eighth Graders’ Science Achievement" (School Science and Mathematics, 2008), and "Argumentative Discourse in a High School Chemistry Classroom" (School Science and Mathematics, 2006). Additionally, he is the author of science curriculum textbooks and holds positions on the editorial review board of the Journal of Science Teacher Education and the advisory board of the Journal of College Science Teaching. Abi-El-Mona has earned recognition through Rowan's Wall of Fame for Excellence in Teaching (2013) and Advising (2019).