Tugba Boz, Ph.D.

My research examines how rural teachers learn computing including AI and engineering and integrate them into their classrooms. A second thread examines how professional learning helps rural teachers implement and sustain these practices in their schools, and my most recent work extends both threads to preparing students to work alongside AI and automation.

tugba.boz@und.edu

Current projects

• CyberAI Innovation: Expanding Workforce Pathways into Cybersecurity and AI

  This National Science Foundation project brings AI and cybersecurity into career and technical education in North Dakota. I am the principal investigator on this $499,663 award, and Naima Kaabouch, Prakash Ranganathan, and Anthony M. Perry are co-principal investigators.

• AI-Powered Teacher Support System for Classroom Talk

  This UND-funded proof-of-concept study develops an AI-powered system that gives rural teachers a report on their classroom talk. I am the principal investigator on this $30,000 award, and Hossein Kashani Zadeh is co-principal investigator.

Recent publications

1. Hammack, R., Robinson, J., Gist, J., Lee, M., & Boz, T. (2026). Understanding how elementary teachers characterize science and engineering lessons and their connection to practice. Journal of Science Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2026.2706373
2. Park, H., Boz, T., Sawyer, A., & Willingham, J. C. (2026). Exploring robot programming in a geometry content course: Learning opportunities for prospective teachers. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 26(1), 85–115. https://citejournal.org/volume-26/issue-1-26/mathematics/exploring-robot-programming-in-a-geometry-content-course-learning-opportunities-for-prospective-teachers/
3. Inouye, M. C., Summers, R., Lee, M. J., Cabrera, L. N., Macias, M., Gist, J., Boz, T., Beard, S., & Davis, D. (2026). Learn-Modify-Implement-Reflect: Delivering formative assessment and reflecting on student learning in elementary teacher professional learning. Journal of Science Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2026.2656142

Full list of publications