About

Dr. Jessica Riccio is an Associate Professor of Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University, with a focus on science education, teacher preparation, assessment, and urban science education. Her scholarly interests include policy in teacher education, educator preparation pathways, content area literacy, and the integration of Next Generation Science Standards into classrooms. She holds an Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University, where her dissertation focused on preservice science education and content area literacy. Her academic background also includes an Ed.M. in Science Education with New York State certification, an M.A. in Physiology from Teachers College, and a B.S. in Human Physiology and Biomechanics from Hunter College, CUNY. Dr. Riccio has contributed extensively to the field through presentations, publications, and professional development initiatives, emphasizing the preparation of science teachers for high-need urban schools and the development of pedagogical skills in STEM education.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Psychology
• Political Science
• Mathematics education
• Sociology
• Engineering
• Pedagogy
• Data science
• Multimedia
• Engineering ethics
• Medical education

Selected publications

• Induction Through Near Peer Learning Communities: The Impact on New Teacher Retention, Self-Efficacy, and Wellbeing

  2025-11-06

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract Teacher retention is the most critical issue impacting the workforce. Support for new teachers is essential for retention. This chapter will explore the phenomenon of new teacher self-efficacy and wellbeing through a comprehensive, university-based, induction program that included peer mentors and professional learning communities. Mentorship was fundamental to the wellbeing of new teachers. Coupling effective preservice practices and professional learning communities created a supportive space for new teachers. Forming relationships with other new teachers, knowing they were not alone in their feelings, and having a near peer mentor available had a significant impact on self-efficacy and wellbeing.

  PublisherDOI

• Examining and Expanding the Lenses of Professional Noticing in Teacher Education

  The New Educator · 2025-12-30

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Engineering Design as a Framework for Virtual Education in Inclusive Science Classrooms

  2023-01-10

  book-chapterSenior author

  Differentiated content for all learners and adhering to the high standards of teaching and learning set forth by the NGSS Standards seems to be an improbable task for science teachers. Layered on top of these challenges has been an emphasis on remote teaching and learning. Collaboration at teacher education’s preservice and in-service levels can provide a foundation for successful planning and instruction. This chapter will provide a framework for constructing collaborative co-teaching methods in science and special education using instructional practices determined to be evidence-based for students with disabilities and the NGSS Framework for essential scientific practices.

  PublisherDOI

• How Does CO2 Interact with Water to Make it More Acidic?

  2023-01-10

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Exploring Digital Inclusive Pedagogy in Action in A High School Physics Class

  2023-01-10

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Supporting First-Generation College Students to Become Teachers in High-Needs Schools

  The Teacher Educator · 2022-08-09 · 3 citations

  articleSenior author

  Extensive research exists on students who are the first in their families to pursue post-secondary education, i.e. first-generation college students. But what about first-generation students who pursue careers in education? This study highlights the experiences of first-generation college students, then graduate students, turned teachers and may shed light on how teacher preparation programs could improve persistence among first-generation college and graduate students and support this population as they embark on careers in K-12 settings. First-generation college students who become teachers frequently share demographic characteristics with students in high-need schools, i.e., many are of low socioeconomic status and/or are people of color. Thus, these teachers may help to fill a critical need as they may be more likely to persist as teachers in high-need schools, which are typically hardest to staff and have high turnover.

  PublisherDOI

• What happens after edTPA?

  Education Policy Analysis Archives · 2022 · 4 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Sociology
  • Political Science
  • Pedagogy

  The teacher certification process can be overwhelming for early-career educators. Negotiating teacher identity, completing fieldwork hours, and navigating institutional expectations can stress the most resilient teacher candidates. These pressures are further compounded as teacher certification assessments, such as the edTPA, introduce additional hurdles to achieving state licensure. This study approaches these obstacles by examining the stories of a diverse group of 14 early-career teachers as they reflect on completing edTPA and their current teaching practices. Through social constructivist perspectives and professional learning continuum framing, we interpreted narrative data to examine early-career teacher discussions of completing edTPA and developing pedagogical practices. These 14 teachers elucidated that the collaborative nature of their preparation program was integral to their completing the assessment, that the program approach to completing the portfolio assessment positioned them to think reflexively about their practice, and that the skills and tools used on edTPA remained useful to them throughout their early-career teaching. We suggest ways that preparation programs can interpret this teacher certification policy as an instructional touchpoint and can limit the gatekeeping capabilities of certification exams through collaboration, building capital, and supporting reflective portfolios. This work has implications for policymakers in teacher education and induction programs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Framework for Analyzing Video in Science Teacher Education (FAVSTE)

  Journal of Science Teacher Education · 2021 · 9 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science
  • Multimedia

  Engaging preservice teachers in the analysis of videos of teaching has become a widely-used and highly-regarded approach within teacher preparation. This approach has become even more pronounced in the wake of COVID-19. Despite the myriad ways that video can support teacher preparation, uncertainties remain regarding how to design and facilitate productive video tasks. This paper reviews existing frameworks to guide the use of video tasks. It then introduces and describes the Framework for Analyzing Video in Science Teacher Education (FAVSTE) to highlight important decision points regarding the implementation of video tasks for teacher educators. Further this paper discusses how the FAVSTE connects to and expands on existing frameworks. Finally, the paper provides two examples to illustrate its use so that it might support teacher educators in maximizing the effectiveness of video analysis/reflection tasks.

  PublisherDOI

• The Framework for Analyzing Video in Science Teacher Education and Examples of its Broad Applicability

  2020 · 2 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science
  • Data science

  There appears to be consensus that the use of video in science teacher education can support the pedagogical development of science teacher candidates. However, in a comprehensive review, Gaudin and Chaliès (2015) identified critical questions about video use that remain unanswered and need to be explored through research in teacher education. A critical question they ask is, “How can teaching teachers to identify and interpret relevant classroom events on video clips improve their capacity to perform the same activities in the classroom?” (p. 57). This paper shares the efforts of a collaborative of science teacher educators from nine teacher preparation programs working to answer this question. In particular, we provide an overview of a theoretically-constructed video analysis framework and demonstrate how that framework has guided the design of pedagogical tools and video-based learning experiences both within and across a variety of contexts. These contexts include both undergraduate and graduate science teacher preparation programs, as well as elementary and secondary science methods and content courses. Readers will be provided a window into the planning and enactment of video analyses in these different contexts, as well as insights from the assessment and research efforts that are exploring the impact of the integration of video analysis in each context.

  Publisher

• A Crash Course in Undergraduate Research

  Journal of College Science Teaching · 2017-05-01 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Meghan E. Marrero

  4 shared

• Heather Johnson

  University of Pittsburgh

  2 shared

• Anna Maria Arias

  Kennesaw State University

  2 shared

• Joshua A. Ellis

  Florida International University

  2 shared

• Lawrence T. Escalada

  University of Northern Iowa

  2 shared

• Brett Criswell

  West Chester University

  2 shared

• Amy Palmeri

  2 shared

• Margaret Parker

  Illinois State University

  2 shared

Labs

• Jessica Riccio LabPI