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Dr. Michael J. Berson

Professor, Social Science and Elementary Education
Program Coordinator, Social Science Education Doctoral Concentration
Program Co-Coordinator, Elementary Education MAT Program

Email: berson@usf.edu 
Phone: (813) 974-7917
Office: USF Tampa Campus, EDU 202-B

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Education:

• Ph.D., The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio.
• M.Ed., The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio.
• B.A., University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York.

Research Areas:

• Social Studies Education
• Elementary Social Studies Education
• Civic Education
• Holocaust Pedagogy
• Technological Innovation
• Teaching with Primary Sources
• Digital Citizenship/Cybersecurity Education
• Teacher Education
• Visual Research Methods
• Participatory Methodologies

Program Affiliations:

• Social Science Education — B.S., M.Ed., MAT, Ph.D.
• Elementary Education 
  
  • Urban Teacher Residency Partnership
  • Cohort
  • Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
  • Ph.D.
• Teacher Education — Ph.D.
• Instructional Technology Learning Design and Technology — M.S.
• Interdisciplinary Education — Ph.D.

Courses Taught:

• EDG 3801: Cybersecurity and the Everyday Citizen
• EDG 6436: Cybersecurity in the Schools
• EDG 7368: Visual Research Methods in Education
• EDG 7931: Advanced Research on Pedagogy and the Holocaust 
• EDG 7931: Advanced Research and Pedagogical Practices with Museum Based Artifacts 
• EDG 7938: Advanced Graduate Seminar: Introduction to Research
• EDH 7325: Supervised Teaching I

• SSE 4313: Teaching Elementary School Social Studies

• SSE 6617: Trends in K-6 Social Science Education
• SSE 6932: Technology in the Social Studies
• SSE 6932: Teaching the Holocaust
• SSE 7710: Research in Social Science Education
• SSE 7720: Social Science Education Technological Innovations
• SSE 7945: Applied Research in Social Science Education

Biography:

Dr. Michael J. Berson is a Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the ºÃÉ«µ¼º½, where he coordinates the Ph.D. Program in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Social Science Education. He also serves as Co-Coordinator of the Elementary Education MAT Program, is the course lead for Elementary Social Studies Education, and holds affiliate faculty status in the Learning Design and Technology program. In addition, he is a Senior Fellow in the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship.

Dr. Berson’s research explores the intersections of civic education, historical inquiry, and technological innovation. He is recognized for his work advancing social studies and Holocaust pedagogy through developmentally appropriate, inquiry-driven instruction. His scholarship emphasizes the ethical and responsible use of digital technologies and the integration of primary sources to deepen student engagement with complex social issues. His contributions to digital citizenship and cybersecurity education have helped shape teacher preparation programs that support learners in critically navigating online environments. Through the use of participatory and visual research methods, he investigates how learners construct meaning and agency in increasingly technologically mediated educational contexts.

Dr. Berson has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on an extensive portfolio of national and international research initiatives funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the Florida Department of Education, the Spencer Foundation, and the Library of Congress. He has published widely in scholarly journals and edited volumes and has delivered keynote addresses across six continents.

His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the USF Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award and the USF Institute on Black Life Outstanding Faculty Service Award. He was twice selected as the university’s nominee for the United States Professor of the Year Program sponsored by CASE and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and was honored by the USF Office of Community Engagement and Partnerships for leadership in service learning. He received the National Council for the Social Studies President’s Award for outstanding contributions to the field, the Agnes Crabtree International Relations Award from the Florida Council for the Social Studies for research in global child advocacy, and the Irving Morrissett Award for Outstanding Contribution to Social Science Education from the Social Science Education Consortium. He was also named the Association of Educational Publishers Distinguished Achievement Award Winner in the Learned Article category. Most recently, he received the Taylor & Francis Outstanding Article Award from the Association of Teacher Educators for his co-authored publication, Cultivating Wonder: A Design-Based Approach to Elevating Social Studies in the Early Years, which showcases innovative strategies for embedding inquiry and authentic engagement in early childhood social studies.

Dr. Berson has held numerous leadership positions in major professional organizations. He was elected Chair of the College and University Faculty Assembly of the National Council for the Social Studies, Vice President of the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education, President of the Social Science Education Consortium, and a member of the Advisory Board for the International Society for the Social Studies. He currently serves on the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Advisory Board, where he contributes to national efforts to support teachers in engaging students with primary sources for critical inquiry and civic learning. As co-chair of the USF College of Education’s Digital Ecosystem Committee, he has led cybersecurity education initiatives that were recognized with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)’s Best Practice Award for Innovative Use of Technology. Dr. Berson has worked with schools, governmental agencies, and organizations around the world to inform policy and practice at the intersection of education, technology, and civic responsibility.

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