Brent Gilles, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Early Childhood through Secondary Education College of Education

678-839-6138
bgilles@westga.edu

Education Annex - Room 178
Office Hours
Tuesday 10am - 1pm
Or by Appointment

Download curriculum vitae for Brent Gilles, Ph.D. in PDF
Brent Gilles, Ph.D.

Dr. Gilles has worked at the university since the fall of 2017. He primarily teaches science education courses and works with graduate students transitioning into teaching through the MAT program and undergraduate elementary education majors. His research interests include scientific argumentation and examining how preservice teachers use discourse while constructing arguments. He is also interested in researching scientific practices and how they contribute to students using observations to construct scientific explanations or arguments. His current project focuses on using scientific argumentation to help preservice teachers develop the skills necessary to design globalization lessons within their classrooms that focus on climate change issues. He also has a passion for working with inservice teachers as demonstrated through his previous work. This work included partnerships with Central High School to assist teachers in developing curriculum to improve student literacy in math and science, and Carrollton City Schools to design environmental education curriculum that centers on stream science for grades k-12. Both partnerships focused on developing teachers knowledge of designing lessons using the engineering and scientific practices.

  • B.S., Meteorology, Valaparaiso University, 2007
  • M.Ed., Education, Valparaiso University, 2010
  • Ph.D., Curriculum & Instruction (Science Education), Indiana University, 2017

Summer 2022 Sections

Spring 2022 Sections

Fall 2021 Sections

Summer 2021 Sections

Spring 2021 Sections

Fall 2020 Sections

Summer 2020 Sections

  • SEED-7252 (Environmental Ed for Teachers) Section: E01
  • SEED-7266 (Adv Instr Strat for 21st Cent) Section: E01
  • EDSI-9998 (Research for Doc Dissertation) Section: E07

Spring 2020 Sections

  • UTCH-3002 (Classroom Interactions) Section: 02
  • ECED-4262 (Tch Content/Process:Science Ed) Section: 01
  • SEED-7289 (Teaching Internship Seminar) Section: N01
  • SEED-7291 (Classrm Instruct & Management) Section: N01
  • SEED-8202 (Clminating Experience SEED EdS) Section: N01
  • EDSI-9998 (Research for Doc Dissertation) Section: E07

Fall 2019 Sections

  • UTCH-3001 (Knowing & Lrn Math & Sci Educ) Section: 01
  • UTCH-3003 (Project Based Instruction) Section: 01
  • SEED-6260 (Inst. Strat. in Sec. School La) Section: N01
  • SEED-6263 (Instr Strat for Sci Ed. in Sec) Section: 01D
  • SEED-8200 (Culminating Project SEED EdS) Section: N01
  • EDSI-9998 (Research for Doc Dissertation) Section: E08

Summer 2019 Sections

  • SEED-7252 (Environmental Ed for Teachers) Section: E01
  • ECSE-7560 (Contemp Issues in Education) Section: E01
  • ECSE-7566 (Adv Instr Strat for 21st Cent) Section: E01
  • EDSI-9998 (Research for Doc Dissertation) Section: E08

Spring 2019 Sections

  • UTCH-3003 (Project Based Instruction) Section: 01
  • SEED-7289 (Teaching Internship Seminar) Section: N01
  • EDSI-9998 (Research for Doc Dissertation) Section: E08

Fall 2018 Sections

  • UTCH-3002 (Classroom Interactions) Section: 01
  • UTCH-3003 (Project Based Instruction) Section: 01
  • SEED-6260 (Inst. Strat. in Sec. School La) Section: N01
  • SEED-6263 (Instr Strat for Sci Ed. in Sec) Section: 01D
  • EDSI-9998 (Research for Doc Dissertation) Section: E09

Summer 2018 Sections

  • SEED-7252 (Environmental Ed for Teachers) Section: E01
  • ECSE-7566 (Adv Instr Strat for 21st Cent) Section: E01

Spring 2018 Sections

  • SEED-4289 (Teaching Internship Seminar) Section: 01
  • SEED-7288 (Teaching Internship) Section: E01
  • SEED-7289 (Teaching Internship Seminar) Section: N01

Fall 2017 Sections

  • UTCH-3003 (Project Based Instruction) Section: 01
  • SEED-4238L (Inst Strat for Sec Eng Edu Lab) Section: 01
  • SEED-4243L (Inst Strat for Sec Soc St Lab) Section: 01
  • SEED-6260 (Inst. Strat. in Sec. School La) Section: N01
  • SEED-6263 (Instr Strat for Sci Ed. in Sec) Section: 01D

Gilles, B., & Britton, S.A. (2020). Moving Online: Creating a Relevant Learning Experience for Students in the Time of Covid-19. The Electronic Journal for Research in Science & Mathematics Education, 24(3), 19-28.

Gilles, B., & Buck, G. (2020). Preservice Teachers’ use of Discourse to Shape the Construction of Scientific Arguments. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 31(3), 291-310.

Gilles, B., Gault, R., Britton, S. (2019). Education outside the classroom: Engaging teachers in their own environment through professional development. GATEways to Teacher Education, 30(9), 1-9.

Gilles, B., & Buck, G. (2019). Considering pedagogical practices in higher education: How science methods instructors influence scientific argumentation construction. International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES), 5(2), 744-757.

Gilles, B., Hawig, T., Sutton, A., & Britton, S. (2019). STEMing the flow for all. Connected Science Learning (10). http://csl.nsta.org/2019/04/steming-the-flow-for-all/

Gilles, B., & Buck, G. (2016). Exploring our theoretical and practical understandings of enthusiasm in science teaching: A self-study of elementary teacher preparation. In G. Buck & V. Akerson (Eds). Allowing our Professional Knowledge of Pre-Service Scien

Buck, G., Akerson, V.L., & Gilles, B. (2016). Garnering the experiences and understandings emerging from self-studies in science teacher education. In G. Buck & V. Akerson (Eds). Allowing our Professional Knowledge of Pre-Service Science Teacher Education