Physics, Astronomy, and Materials Science Department
Dr. Cheryl Schaefer
Assistant Professor
Office: 103-F Kemper Hall
Telephone: (417) 836-6852
e-mail: CherylSchaefer@MissouriState.edu
Teaching
Dr. Cheryl Schaefer teaches the 100-level introductory physics courses for pre-professional students, the basic physics course for elementary preservice teachers, and the science education and methods courses for the secondary preservice teachers. She has 2 graduate students, Sharon Blauvelt and John Jones. They are working toward a Masters in Natural and Applied Sciences. This major allows the student to take graduate credit courses in 2 different sciences and a third non-science area (like education). It is a wonderful major for inservice teachers who want to pursue a master's degree.
Research
Dr. Schaefer's research areas are proportional reasoning (rates and ratios are so critical to student success in physics), the history of physics, modeling type of interactive physics education, and the KWL method of teaching. Dr. Schaefer is currently in the 2nd year of a 3 year grant for Improving Teacher Quality called the SMART grant, Science and Math Achievement for Rural Teachers for teachers of grades 4-9. With partners Lynda Plymate and Kurt Killian, she has helped increase teacher content knowledge in physics, earth science, and geometry and numbers sense.