Kaylene Stevens

Clinical Assistant Professor

Dr. Kaylene Stevens is a clinical assistant professor at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Her research interests lie in teacher education, civics and social studies education, and pedagogy and curriculum in K–12 classrooms. She works on several grants and research studies that study how to bring civic education and discourse into K–12 classrooms in meaningful and practical ways.

Dr. Stevens teaches both elementary and secondary methods classes and research methods at the graduate and undergraduate level. She has organized and co-led the practicum and pre-practicum experiences for pre-service teachers. Her work has been featured in the Journal of Social Studies Research and Theory & Research in Social Education. She co-authored the book, Teaching History for Justice: Centering Activism in Students’ Study of the Past. She has been published in the Boston Globe and Educational Leadership and has been a guest on several education podcasts. Prior to her work at Boston University, Dr. Stevens was a public school teacher for 14 years and department head at Framingham High School.

In the Media

Education

EdD, Curriculum & Instruction, Boston University
MAT, Social Studies, Union University
BA, Sociology & Communication, Hamilton College

Courses

SO 571: Curriculum and Special Methods for History and Social Science 5-12
CH 300/515:Methods of Instruction: Elementary 1-6
ED 205: Designing Learning Experiences
RS 600: Introduction to Research
SO 574: Pre-Practicum in Secondary Schools
SO 566: Developing Historical Literacy, 5-12
ED 473: Field Experience Social Studies CT
750: Basic Principles of Curriculum & Teaching RS 630: Research for Equity

Research

View Dr. Stevens' citations on Google Scholar.

Selected Publications

Books

Martell, C. C., & Stevens, K. M. (2020). Teaching history for justice: Centering activism in students' study of the past. Teachers College Press.

Book chapters

Stevens, K. M., & Martell, C. M. (2024). Teaching transformative citizenship: A pathway to promoting equity and preserving democracy. In F. Crawford, F. T. Coleman, & E. Wiehe (Eds.), Contemporary issues in equity, democracy, and public education: Multidisciplinary perspectives from education, social science, and health. Routledge.

Martell, C. C. & Stevens, K. M. (2022). Learning to teach history for justice: Racial literacies and teacher education. In L. J. King (Ed.), The problem of the colorline: Social studies education and racial literacy. Teachers College Press

Articles

Martell, C. C. & Stevens, K. M (2023). Teaching Movements in History: Understanding Collective Action, Intersectionality, and Justice in the Past. The History Teacher.

Martell, C. C. & Stevens, K. M. (2022). Thinking Like an Activist in the History Classroom. Social Education.

Stevens, K.M. & Martell, C.C. (2021). Five Years Later: How the 2016 Election Impacted Feminist Social Studies Teachers. Theory & Research in Social Education.

Martell, C.C. & Stevens, K.M. (2019). Culturally sustaining social studies teachers: Understanding models of practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 86.

Stevens, K.M. & Martell, C.C. (2019). Feminist social studies teachers: The role of teachers’ background and beliefs in shaping gender-equitable practices. The Journal of Social Studies Research.

Martell, C.C. & Stevens K.M. (2018). Becoming a Race-Conscious Social Studies Teacher: The Influence of Personal and Professional Experiences. The Social Studies.

Martell, C.C. & Stevens K.M. (2018). Perception of Teaching Race and Gender: Results of a Survey of Social Studies Teachers. High School Journal.

Martell, C.C. & Stevens K.M. (2017). Equity- and Tolerance-Oriented Teachers: Approaches to Teaching Race in the Social Studies Classroom. Theory & Research In Social Education, Vol. 0, Iss. 0,0.

Stevens, K. M., & Martell, C. C. (2016). An Avenue for Challenging Sexism: Examining the High School Sociology Classroom. JSSE-Journal of Social Science Education, 15(1), 63-73.

Selected Presentations

Stevens, K. M., Fife, E., Martell, C. C., & Kulkarni, V. (2025, April 25). Designed to silence: How discriminatory censorship laws are impacting teachers [Conference presentation]. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO, United States.

Stevens, K. M., Fife, E., & Martell, C. C. (2025, April 26). What resistance looks like: Stories from educators impacted by discriminatory censorship laws [Conference presentation]. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO, United States.

Stevens & Martell (November 2022). College & University Faculty Assembly of the National Council for the Social Studies, Book Talk: Teaching History for Justice.

Stevens & Martell (September 2022) New York Historical Society, Rethinking American Feminism, 1948-1977. Teaching History for Justice: Building classrooms around activist thinking.

Stevens, K. (November 2021) Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Curiosity & Learning Conference.

Stevens, K. & Martell, C. (April 2021) Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Teaching History for Justice Webinar.

Martell C. & Stevens, K. (April 2021) Social Studies Collaborative CCSSO Social Studies Webinar Teaching History for Justice: Centering Activism in Students' Study of the Past.

Stevens, K. & Martell, C. (March 2021) Social Science Education Consortium, Women As Activists: How, Where, and Why We Act SSEC Webinar.

Martell, C. & Stevens, K. (February 2021) Social Studies Reads Twitter Talk, Teaching History for Justice.

Martell C. & Stevens, K. (October 2020) Lincoln Public, Professional Development Teaching Teachers How to Teach Social Activism.

Stevens, K. & Martel,l C. (April 2020) American Education Research Association (AERA), Feminists’ teachers’ evolution towards gender equity in an uncertain age.

Stevens, K & Martell, C. (April 2016) American Education Research Association (AERA), Gender Equity in Social Studies: An Analysis of Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices.

Martell, C. & Stevens, K. (April 2016) American Education Research Association (AERA), A Survey of Teachers' Perceptions of Race and Gender in Social Studies.

Martell, C. & Stevens, K. (April 2016) American Education Research Association (AERA), The Beliefs and Practices of Race-Conscious Social Studies Teachers.

Martell, C. & Stevens, K. ( November 2015) National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) College and University Faculty Assembly, The Personal and Professional Experiences of Race-Conscious Teachers.

Stevens, K. (November 2014) National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) College and University Faculty Assembly, A Unique Place: Teacher beliefs and Practices teaching gender in the Sociology classroom.

Stevens, K. (November 2014). National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) College and University Faculty Assembly, The decision of out: Understanding the decisions of disclosure for gay male teachers.

Martell, C. & Stevens, K. (November 2014) National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) College and University Faculty Assembly, Using Teacher Research in the Social Studies Classroom.

Stevens, K. (October 2014) Diversity Challenge: “Racial or Ethnic Discrimination across the Lifespan,” Boston College. Teaching Race in the classroom.

Stevens, K. (2014) Boston University, School of Education, Student Research Conference, Poster, A Unique Place: Teacher beliefs and practices teaching gender in the sociology classroom.

Stevens, K. (2013) Harvard Graduate School Education Student Research Conference, Through the Looking Glass: Truth and Context in Education Research, Teacher disclosure in the classroom.

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