Daniel Alston

Daniel Mason Alston is an Associate Professor in the Cato College of Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the United States.

His scholarship includes: 1) examining the development and impact of student-centered teaching methods such as, inquiry-based and STEM instruction; 2) better understanding the various person variables which impact teacher enactment and persistence in student-centered teaching methods; and 3) exploring the emotional environment of classrooms and helping to develop engaging, safe, positive and consistent classroom environments for students and teachers. Recently, Alston has started to explore equity and justice in science education.

Research Interests:

Inquiry-based Instruction
Science Teacher Professional Development
Affect and the Teaching Profession
Equity in Elementary Teaching

Education:

Ph.D. – Clemson University, 2016, Curriculum and Instruction: Science Education
M.T. – University of South Carolina, 2007, Secondary Science Education
B.S. – University of South Carolina, 2005, Biology

Teaching:

Creating Effective Elementary Classroom Environments for All Students
Instructional Design and Assessment in Elementary Education
Teaching Science to Elementary Learners

Selected Publications:

Alston, D.M. (2026). Science for a better world. In Middle School Science Program National Geographic Textbook. Cengage Learning.

Frisch, J. & Alston, D.M. (2025). Preface: An adventurer’s guide to this book. In J. K. Frisch, D. M. Alston, A. Feldman, R. Hagevik, & Michelle Schpakow (Eds.), Wicked problems in PreK-12 science education.

Alston, D.M. & Crabtree, L. (2025). We make the road by walking: Supporting science teacher candidates’ moves toward justice-oriented teaching and learning. In J. K. Frisch, D. M. Alston, A. Feldman, R. Hagevik, & Michelle Schpakow (Eds.), Wicked problems in PreK-12 science education.

Alston, D.M., Opiola, K., Byker, E., Hedgepeth, E. (2025). Cultivating asset-based mindsets and healthy school-university partnerships through the use of a trauma-informed protocol. In O. Schepers, M. Brennan, & P. Bernhardt (Eds.), Developing trauma-informed teachers: Intentional partnerships to create classrooms that foster equity, resiliency, and asset-based approaches.
Book received 2026 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award

Newsham, T., Alston, D.M., Hancock, C., Nikzad-Terhune, K., Borrero, L., Tesar, S., Vogler, E., McGuire, S., & Fugate-Whitlock, E. (2025). Integrating gerontology into celebrations of the 100th day of school: Development of ageism-reducing resources for preschool to second grade teachers. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education

Dean, S., Alston, D. M., & Hawkins, J. (2024). Rehumanizing science education: Exploring outdoor learning as an avenue towards holistic wellbeing. Journal of Science Teacher Education.

Alston, D.M., & Crabtree, L. (2024). Employing justice-oriented curricula and pedagogy to support elementary teacher candidates’ future science teaching. Innovations.