Our research group is interested in how people make meaning of natural and physical science concepts. We explore meaning making (interpretation) and learning (saving and recalling information) by studying how people speak, read, and write about science. Subsequently, we study how people demonstrate understanding (transferring knowledge to solve problems) or perform (grades, retention in major).

We conduct our work in diverse field sites:
1. undergraduate and graduate science and engineering classrooms
2. K-12 classrooms
3. informal science education experiences (museums, school gardens, citizen science organizations)

Ultimately, our research informs the science education community.

• The findings will inform students so they can become:
  • more aware of their own conceptual difficulties and be independent learners
  • more inclusive and productive teammates during group work
  • better communicators of science
• The findings will inform instructors of science so they can support:
  • student learning through writing activities
  • science communication skills
  • critical thinking during problem-based learning activities
  • audiences of science communication activities, so they can integrate different types of knowledge

Some of Meena's more recent collaborative scholarship centers on humans connections with nature.  This line of work emerged through the first national nature assessment, which is currently called  the nature record.

If you are interested in joining our research group, please contact me: Meena.Balgopal at colostate.edu
I am now Chair of the Department of Biology. This means I am pretty busy these days, so I may not respond right away.

updated Sept. 2026
photo: Meadowbrook Prairie, Central Illinois - isn't it beautiful?