SSHRC Canada Postdoctoral Fellow
(PhD, EdM, BEd, BSc (Hons), OCT)
Dr. Travis T. Fuchs is an education researcher specializing in science education, climate and sustainability education, and teacher professional development. In the fields of science, climate, and sustainability education, his work explores how teachers and students leverage disciplinary issues to foster critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and civic and community engagement. In the field of teacher professional development, his work focuses on designing and evaluating scalable, evidence-informed professional development programs, ensuring sustainable, research-based improvements in K-16 education. Dr. Fuchs has extensive experience leading research collaborations between universities, schools, and non-profit organizations to bridge academic research and community knowledge with classroom practice.
With a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Pedagogy from the University of British Columbia, an EdM in Learning and Teaching from Harvard University, and teaching and research affiliations at the University of Oxford, Dr. Fuchs brings a global perspective to educational studies. His research has been supported by over $425,000 in competitive awards, grants and fellowships, and he has delivered over 25 invited talks and workshops at institutions including the University of Oxford, University of British Columbia, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, University of Calgary, and Simon Fraser University.
In 2024, Dr. Fuchs was awarded the Best Dissertation Award from the Canadian Science Education Research Group and was nominated by UBC’s Faculty of Education for the Governor General’s Gold Medal as the top doctoral student at the university.
Dr. Fuchs began his career as a middle and high school science teacher, and holds teaching licences in Ontario and British Columbia.
- Science education and socioscientific issues (SSIs) – Investigating how SSIs can be leveraged in science learning contexts to foster critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and civic and community engagement.
- Scientific literacy in school settings – Exploring how scientific literacy is enacted in classrooms and the pedagogical approaches that support students in engaging with complex real-world science challenges.
- Climate change and sustainability education – Designing and evaluating programs that equip teachers and students to address environmental issues through action-based, justice-oriented frameworks.
- Teacher professional development and action research – Developing and assessing scalable, evidence-informed professional learning models that empower educators to implement research-based instructional innovations.
- Curriculum innovation and instructional design – Investigating effective ways to integrate interdisciplinary approaches into science education.
- American Education Research Association (AERA)
- Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE)
- Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE)
- National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST)
- North American Association for Research in Environmental Education (NAAEE)
- Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario (STAO)
Click here for an updated list
Chapters
- Fuchs, T.T., Roppel, S., Harding, T.T., Erickson, H. (In press). Focus on the future: The development, implementation, and efficacy of teachers’ climate change professional development. In J.L. Bencze (Ed), Expanding networks for critical and altruistic science education: Seeking ubiquitous social justice and environmental vitality. Springer.
- Fuchs, T.T. (2020). When Winter Winds Wined. In M. Mosavarzadeh & K. Morimoto (Eds.), Making – Place: International postcard exhibition(pp. 51). InSEA Publications.
Papers in peer-refereed journals
- Fuchs, T.T. (2023). A framework for climate change education in critical geography. Geography, 108(2), 95-100. https://doi.org/10.1080/00167487.2023.2217632
- Fuchs, T.T., & Jellema, E. (2023). Socioscientific issues and COVID-19: Responding to curriculum reform through action research. Canadian Journal of Action Research, 23(2), 41-68. https://doi.org/10.33524/cjar.v23i2.612
- Fuchs, T.T., & Tan, Y.S.M. (2022). Frameworks supporting socially responsible science education: Opportunities, challenges, and implementation. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 22(1), 9-27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42330-022-00200-x
- Fuchs T.T., Sonnert, G., Scott, S.A., Sadler, P.M., & Chen, C. (2022). Preparation and motivation of high school students who want to become science or mathematics teachers. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 33(1), 83-106. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2021.1908658
- Fuchs, T.T., Bonney, K., & Arsenault, M. (2021). Leveraging student misconceptions to improve teaching of biochemistry and cell biology. The American Biology Teacher, 83(1), 5-11. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2021.83.1.5
- Fuchs, T.T., & Arsenault, M. (2017). Using test data to find misconceptions in secondary science. School Science Review, 98(364), 31-36. https://www.ase.org.uk/resources/school-science-review/issue-364/using-test-data-find-misconceptions-secondary-science
- Fuchs, T.T., Sadler, P.M., & Sonnert, G. (2015). High school predictors of a career in medicine. Journal of Career and Technical Education, 30(1), 9-28. https://doi.org/10.21061/jcte.v30i1.711
Articles in professional journals and sources
- Fuchs, T.T., Harding, T., Roppel, S. (In press). The Climate Collaborative for Gr 7 – 12 educators. Accelerate Climate Change Education in Canadian Teacher Education.
- Fuchs, T.T., & Brant-Birioukov, K. (2025). Educational action research: A pathway to decolonizing education. Education Canada, 64(1). https://www.edcan.ca/articles/educational-action-research-a-pathway-to-decolonizing-education/
- Harding, T., & Fuchs, T.T. (2021). Not another climate change headline: The case of a Canadian teacher professional development program. Education in Science, 286, 15-17. https://www.ase.org.uk/resources/education-in-science/issue-286/feature-climate-change-education
- Fuchs, T.T. (2019). Dwelling between curriculum-as-planned and curriculum-as-lived in science class. Canadian Teacher Magazine, Winter, 18-19. https://canadianteachermagazine.com/2019/01/19/dwelling-between-curriculum-as-planned-and-curriculum-as-lived-in-science-class/
- Fuchs, T.T. (2018). Compositional tinkering in the music room. Ottiya Magazine: Meaningful, Creative, and Fun Learning & Education, 2, 74-81. https://www.ottiya.com/magazine/2/compositional-tinkering-in-the-music-room/
- Fuchs, T.T. (2016). LGBTQ inclusivity in the science classroom. Canadian Teacher Magazine, Jan, http://www.canadianteachermagazine.com/issues/2016/CTM_JanFeb16/docs/CTM_JanFeb16_web.pdf
Projects
- (2024-2026) SSHRC, Postdoctoral Fellowship. Evaluating teacher professional development in climate change education ($140,000). Principal Investigator.
- (2025) University of Oxford, Public and Community Engagement with Research Grant. Climate justice education: From the lab to the courtroom to the classroom (~$10,000). Research Associate.
- (2025) Accelerating Climate Change Education in Teacher Education, Professional Learning in Climate Change Education Case Study Grant ($3,000). Principal Investigator.
- (2020-2023) SSHRC, Canada Graduate Scholarship. Socially responsible science education in Canadian classrooms ($105,000). Principal Investigator.
- (2022-2023) SSHRC, Micheal Smith Foreign Study Supplement. Teacher education and professional development in Oxfordshire, UK ($6,000). Principal Investigator.
- (2018-2022) University of British Columbia, Four Year Doctoral Fellowship. PhD program ($72,000).
- (2019-2021) University of British Columbia, Killam Doctoral Scholarship. Professional development supporting socially responsible science education ($60,000). Principal Investigator.
Awards
- (2024-2026) Brock University, Office of the Vice-President Research Postdoctoral Grant ($5,000).
- (2025) Canadian Science Policy Centre, Canada’s Science Meets Parliament Ontario (delegate).
- (2024) Canadian Science Education Research Group, Best Dissertation Award ($250).
- (2024) University of British Columbia Faculty of Education, Governor General’s Gold Medal (nominee).
- (2020-2023) University of British Columbia, President’s Academic Excellence Initiative ($2,926).
- (2019-2023) University of British Columbia, Education Department Travel Award ($1,250).
- (2022) National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Graduate Mentorship Award ($100).
- (2021) Vancouver Poppy Fund Award, Supporting Military Veterans ($10,000).
- (2020) University of British Columbia, David Bateson Prize in Science Education ($350).
- (2020) Canadian Association of Teacher Education, Graduate Student Travel Award ($250).
- (2018) University of British Columbia Office of Postdoctoral Studies, Graduate Student Conference Travel Grant ($500).
- (2018) University of British Columbia Office of Research in Education, Graduate Student Conference Travel Grant ($750).
- (2014) Harvard University, Admissions Scholarship ($13,500).
