Elisabeth Johnston
About Dr. Johnston
BS, MA, University of Connecticut-Storrs; PhD, University of North Texas
Dr. Johnston teaches Inquiry, Integration, and Problem Solving in the Primary Grades, Primary Grade (K-3) Practicum, K-3 Student Teaching Seminar, K-3 Student Teaching in an Inclusive Classroom, and Guiding Young Mathematicians: Math Methods for Early Childhood.
Dr. Johnston earned her BS in Elementary Education and her MA in Education from the University of Connecticut and received her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a minor in Early Childhood Education from the University of North Texas. Her dissertation focused on how preschool teachers’ instructional practices align with recommendations for high quality mathematics learning environments.
Dr. Johnston’s research interests include mathematics instructional practices in the early childhood classroom, professional development for early childhood educators, and teachers’ self-efficacy related to teaching math/science in the early childhood classroom. She has had the opportunity to present at a variety of national conferences on these topics, such as the National Council of Teachers for Mathematics (NCTM), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the Association for Teacher Educators (ATE), and the Research Council of Mathematics Learning (RCML).
Prior to joining the Plymouth State faculty in 2014, Dr. Johnston was an Assistant Professor of Elementary/Early Childhood Education at Slippery Rock University. She has worked with young children in a variety of roles including teaching at a gifted and talented magnet school in Texas and developing an afterschool program with a colleague to support at-risk learners’ mathematical development in grades 2-5.
