Lauren Funk
Lecturer
Dr. Lauren Funk is a lecturer specializing in social studies education at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. She teaches comprehensive foundational and social studies method courses to both undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Funk’s research expertise includes civic engagement, teacher reflection, educational legislation, and teacher resistance.
Before joining the academic faculty, Dr. Funk enjoyed a career as a secondary history teacher in middle and high school environments. Her teaching experience spans various courses such as comparative politics, US government, and Western civilization. In addition to her instructional responsibilities, she has held roles such as administrative faculty team leader and dedicated mentor to first-year teachers.
Pronouns: she/her
Recent News
- Scholarly Accomplishments September 2025
- Scholarly Accomplishments May 2025
- Scholarly Accomplishments February 2025
- BU Wheelock Welcomes New Faculty for 2024
In the Media
Education
EdD, Curriculum & Teaching, Boston University
EdM, Curriculum & Teaching, Boston University
MAT, Teaching, Johns Hopkins University
BA, Law and Justice, American University
Courses
CH 300/518: Methods of Instruction, Elementary 1–6, Social Studies
ED 503: Analyzing Foundations of Teaching
SO 566: OL-Teaching Critical Historical Inquiry
SO 571: Curriculum & Special Methods for History & Social Sciences, 5–12
Selected Publications
Funk, L. (2025). Teaching on the margins: When political clarity is compromised. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/15505170.2025.2503347
Martinelle, R., Funk, L., Nerlino, E., & Foye, B. (2024). Tensions in teaching Chinese international students: A self-study of cultural competence in an educational foundations course. Action in Teacher Education, 46(3), 226–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2024.2339882
Selected Presentations
Funk, L. and Nerlino, E. (2025, April 23). Shifting identity: A first-year teacher-educators’ duoship [Conference presentation]. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association 2025 Convention, Denver, CO, United States.
Nerlino, E. and Funk, L. (2025, April 23). 'Even-handed treatment of all sides': A critical policy analysis of Massachusetts anti-discriminatory school committee proposals [Conference presentation]. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association 2025 Convention, Denver, CO, United States.
Funk, L., Martinelle, R., & Rowlings, B. (2025). A “difficult-ish” day: Social studies teachers’ approaches to (and reasons for) teaching 1/6/21 [Paper session]. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Denver, CO.
Martinelle, R., Funk, L., & Lake, J. (2025). Back then, over there, never here, never now: Fascism according to K-12 social studies standards [Roundtable session]. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Denver, CO.
Funk, L. (2025, February 7- 8). “A legacy of love”: A teacher’s story of political clarity as praxis [Conference presentation]. University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education Ethnography in Education Research Forum 2025, Philadelphia, PA, United States.