About

Philip Bell is a professor of Learning Sciences & Human Development at the University of Washington and holds the Shauna C. Larson Endowed Chair in Learning Sciences. He is also the executive director of the UW Institute for Science & Math Education, where he focuses on equity-focused innovation in K-12 STEM education. Bell's research encompasses a cognitive and cultural program that investigates how people learn in ways that are personally consequential to them, studying areas such as everyday expertise and cognition in science and health, the design and use of novel learning technologies in science classrooms, youth argumentation, professional learning in science education and climate change education, culturally expansive science instruction, and scaled implementation of educational improvement. His background includes human cognition and development, science education, computer science, and electrical engineering. Bell has served on prominent national committees, including the Board on Science Education with the National Academy of Sciences, and has contributed to the development of the Next Generation Science Standards. He is also involved in editing a series of research- and practice-based tools for science education called STEM Teaching Tools, aimed at promoting equity-focused improvements in science education.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Sociology
• Computer Science
• Engineering ethics
• Engineering
• Engineering management
• Pedagogy
• World Wide Web
• Public relations
• Epistemology
• Knowledge management

Selected publications

• 2785 Protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial of the OUTDOOR mobility intervention for older adults after hip fracture

  Age and Ageing · 2025-01-01

  article

  Abstract Introduction A high proportion of patients do not regain outdoor mobility after hip-fracture. Rehabilitation explicitly targeting outdoor mobility is needed to enable older adults to resume activities that they value most. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of a randomised, controlled trial intended to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of an intervention enabling recovery of outdoor mobility post hip-fracture (the OUTDOOR intervention). Method OUTDOOR is a multi-centre, parallel group, randomised, controlled, feasibility trial. Adults 60 years and older, admitted to hospital and planned discharge to home; with self-reported outdoor mobility three-months pre-fracture, surgically treated for hip fracture, who are able to consent and participate, are eligible. Individuals requiring two or more people to support mobility upon discharge are excluded. Screening and consent (or consent to contact) will take place in hospital. Baseline assessment and randomisation will follow discharge. Participants will receive usual care (physiotherapy, occupational therapy), or usual care plus the OUTDOOR intervention. OUTDOOR intervention includes a goal-orientated outdoor mobility programme, therapist-led motivational dialogue supported by a past-patient led videos sharing recovery experiences; and support to transition to independent recovery. Therapists delivering the OUTDOOR intervention will receive training in motivational interviewing, and behaviour change techniques. Patient reported outcome measures—health-related quality of life, daily activities, pain, community mobility, falls related self-efficacy, resource use, and readmission; will be collected at baseline, 6-weeks, 12-weeks, and 6-months (if enrolled early in the trial) post-randomisation. Exercise adherence and intervention acceptability will be collected. Subset of 20 participants will support accelerometery data collection for 10 days at each time point. Trial received approval from East of England—Essex Research Ethics Committee (REF: 23/EE/0246) and the Health Research Authority. Findings will be disseminated to patients, the public, health professionals and researchers through publications, presentations, and social media. Trial registered at ISRCTN16147125.

  PublisherDOI

• Youth as pattern makers for racial justice: How speculative design pedagogy in science can promote restorative futures through radical care practices

  2025-04-16

  book-chapterOpen accessSenior author

  Background We examine the development of youth sociopolitical consciousness and agency in an eighth-grade science classroom as students of color engage in critical speculative design activities, exploring the multi-scalar, racial realities and possibilities of the science and engineering of pervasive digital technologies—specifically involving the entanglement of lightwaves and melanin in computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Methods Through case studies of two girls of color (ES and GS), we analyze the youths’ learning pathways across three instructional phases: threading practices (learners’ sociopolitical interpretation); weaving practices (learners’ coordination of multiple ways of knowing and being in relation to their interpretation); and patternmaking practices (learners’ visions of more just patterns, practices, and politics through speculative design). Findings Our analyses show how youth use their felt, cultural, and community knowledges, as well as their developing scientific knowledge of physics, to confront and analyze manifestations of racial bias in technologies. The findings highlight the significance of teachers’ pedagogical support and providing opportunities for meaningful transdisciplinary science investigations and speculative designing for more just and thriving futures.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Infrastructuring Insurgent Equity-Focused Educational Movements Within Educational Standards Implementation Projects (Poster 10)

  2024-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial of the ‘Outdoor’ mobility intervention for older adults after hip fracture

  PLoS ONE · 2024-08-12

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: A high proportion of patients do not regain outdoor mobility after hip fracture. Rehabilitation explicitly targeting outdoor mobility is needed to enable these older adults to recover activities which they value most. The overarching aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial which aims to assess the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of an intervention designed to enable recovery of outdoor mobility among older adults after hip fracture (the OUTDOOR intervention). METHODS: This is a protocol for a multi-centre pragmatic parallel group (allocation ratio 1:1) randomised controlled assessor-blinded feasibility trial. Adults aged 60 years or more, admitted to hospital from- and planned discharge to- home, with self-reported outdoor mobility in the three-months pre-fracture, surgically treated for hip fracture, and who are able to consent and participate, are eligible. Individuals who require two or more people to support mobility on discharge will be excluded. Screening and consent (or consent to contact) will take place in hospital. Baseline assessment and randomisation will follow discharge from hospital. Participants will then receive usual care (delivered by physiotherapy, occupational therapy, or therapy assistants), or usual care plus the OUTDOOR intervention. The OUTDOOR intervention includes a goal-orientated outdoor mobility programme (supported by up to six in-person visits), therapist-led motivational dialogue (supported by up to four telephone calls), supported by a past-patient led video where recovery experiences are shared, and support to transition to independent ongoing recovery. Therapists delivering the OUTDOOR intervention (distinct from those supporting usual care) will receive training in motivational interviewing and behaviour change techniques. Baseline demographics will be collected. Patient reported outcome measures including health related quality of life, activities of daily living, pain, community mobility, falls related self-efficacy, resource use, readmissions, and mortality will be collected at baseline, 6-weeks, 12-weeks, and 6-months (for those enrolled early in the trial) post-randomisation. Exercise adherence (6- and 12- weeks) and intervention acceptability (12-weeks) will be collected. A subset of 20 participants will also support accelerometery data collection for 10 days at each time point. DISSEMINATION: The trial findings will be disseminated to patients and the public, health professionals and researchers through publications, presentations and social media channels. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial has been registered at ISRCTN16147125. PROTOCOL VERSION: 3.0.

  PublisherDOI

• Studying the Implementation of Equity Projects in Science Education in Divisive Political Contexts

  Science Education · 2024-10-29 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT The implementation of equity‐oriented reforms is never simply a technical matter: it involves directly engaging with the norms and politics responsible for reproducing inequitable opportunities and outcomes, and with efforts to promote educational justice. To date, there has been little research on how leaders in science education navigate the political environments of schooling to engage in equity work in their local contexts. The current political divisions within and among states regarding teaching about racial equity provide an important and timely context for such study. This study examines equity projects that science education leaders engage in and how these relate to recently passed legislation in several states regarding teaching about race and its ongoing role in shaping American society and institutions. It relies on survey data from science education leaders in 33 states, focusing on their familiarity with and involvement in different kinds of equity projects in science education, along with their perceptions of what supports and what hinders their equity‐focused work. Employing a mixed methods approach, including descriptive analysis, hierarchical linear modeling, and thematic analysis, we found that engagement in equity projects varied widely across and within states. However, in states with laws promoting equity, leaders were engaged in more racial equity‐related projects than in states with legislation that restrict discussion of matters of race, so‐called “gag orders”. These findings underscore the significance of the broader political environments in shaping science education leadership and present opportunities for researchers in the field to support leaders in navigating them.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Washington’s ClimeTime: Collaboration and Capacity-Building to Foster Climate Learning Across a State Network

  Connected Science Learning · 2024-07-03 · 1 citations

  article

  Washington State's ClimeTime Network is a groundbreaking effort that has been implementing systemic capacity-building around climate science learning, as well as broader scientific literacy, for the past 6 years. This article provides an overview of the ClimeTime Network formation, framing, and implementation strengths and challenges. Additionally, the core commitments that help guide ongoing implementation efforts are detailed. The organization of the network's ongoing operations are described and further guidance is provided to help others who are engaging in emerging systemic efforts to support climate change education and the required capacity-building.

  PublisherDOI

• The Development of Indigenous Allyship Among White Settlers

  Proceedings. · 2024-06-10

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  The promotion of Indigenous sovereignty is approached as a coalitional justice project involving decolonial and anti-colonial efforts.This necessitates that non-Indigenous people engage in developmental processes focused on recognizing and unlearning coloniality, disrupting white colonial structures, and taking direction from Indigenous Peoples through trusting relationships.I present a social practice framework to guide development of Indigenous allyship among white settlers based on case studies and interviews from Living in Indigenous Sovereignty (Carlson-Manathara & Rowe, 2021).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Educating Across Scales for Multispecies World Building Through Radical Care Practices (Poster 6)

  2024-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Should Climate Science Be Local? YES!!

  Connected Science Learning · 2024-07-03 · 3 citations

  article

  Science learning that is rooted in local climate phenomena is a powerful way to initiate climate change learning that is meaningful and leaves learners feeling more motivated to take climate action. Local climate phenomenon connects youth with community interests, place, diverse people, and actionable solutions. In this article we identify why local climate phenomena are critical for moving climate education forward. This includes introducing the concept of translocal sensemaking, which describes how youth leverage their scientific understanding of local phenomena as a tool to help them unpack and grapple with climate change issues either thousands of miles away or unfolding across a global scale. We also offer numerous examples of how we have taken up local climate phenomena in our own work with teachers and students. These examples of local climate phenomena span intersectional issues of justice and settings, and help frame what constitutes high-quality local climate phenomena.

  PublisherDOI

• Youth as Pattern Makers for Racial Justice: How Speculative Design Pedagogy in Science Can Promote Restorative Futures

  Proceedings. · 2023-10-03

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  In this article, we examine the development of youth sociopolitical consciousness and agency in an eighth-grade science classroom as students explore the multi-scalar, racial realities and possibilities of the science and engineering of pervasive digital technologies.Through case studies of two girls of color (ES and GS), we analyze the youths' cultural learning pathways.Our analyses show how youth use their felt, cultural, and community knowledges, and their developing physics knowledge, to confront and analyze manifestations of racial bias in technologies.The findings highlight the significance of teachers' pedagogical support and providing opportunities for meaningful transdisciplinary science investigations and speculative designing for more just and thriving futures.The Critical Speculative Design Pedagogy framework suggests how teachers can cultivate equitable, expansive, and consequential science learning.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• A Research+Practice Collaboratory

  NSF · $2.8M · 2015–2020

• Research and Design of a Curriculum Authoring System for Computational Project-Based Learning Units in Education

  NSF · $1.5M · 2015–2020

• The Advancing Coherent and Equitable Systems of Science Education Project

  NSF · $2.5M · 2019–2025

• Science Learning +: Broadening Participation in STEM through Transdisciplinary Youth Development Activities

  NSF · $1.1M · 2017–2023

Frequent coauthors

• Robin Adams

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  27 shared

• Lorraine Fleming

  27 shared

• Cheryl Allendoerfer

  Shoreline Community College

  27 shared

• Larry Leifer

  Stanford University

  27 shared

• Helen Chen

  Singapore University of Social Sciences

  25 shared

• Bayta Maring

  University of Washington

  25 shared

• Carrie Tzou

  University of Washington Bothell

  16 shared

• Bec Hanley

  Medical Research Council

  16 shared

Labs

• Learning Sciences & Human DevelopmentPI

Awards & honors

• Shauna C. Larson Endowed Chair in Learning Sciences
• member of the Board on Science Education with the National A…
• co-chaired the National Research Council consensus report ef…
• served on the committee of the NRC Framework for K-12 Scienc…