Judith Pace

Judith L. Pace is a Professor in the Teacher Education Department at the University of San Francisco’s School of Education. She is a qualitative researcher who examines classroom teaching and curriculum — focusing on social studies — and its relationship to diversity, democracy, and sociopolitical contexts. She has studied classroom authority relationships and academic engagement, teaching for democratic citizenship in government classes, social studies under high stakes accountability, and teacher preparation for teaching controversial issues. Her last study was conducted in Northern Ireland, England, and the Midwestern U.S., and she is fascinated by curriculum and teaching in politically divided and post-conflict societies.

Prior to USF, Dr. Pace worked at Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she earned her doctorate. She worked with teachers, school leaders, and researchers on project-based learning, portfolio assessment, teaching for understanding, and comprehensive school reform. Before that, she taught in special education, progressive, and middle school programs in Boston area schools.

• Teacher education
• Social studies education
• Teaching controversial issues and contested history
• Classroom relationships, curriculum, and teaching in the sociopolitical contexts of schooling

• Visiting Scholar, 2016–2017
• Teacher Education Department Chair, 2013–2016
• Coordinator of MAT master's courses, 2012–present

• EdD, Harvard University
• CAS, Harvard University
• MEd, Lesley College
• BA, Brandeis University

• K-12 Teacher in special education and progressive settings in the Boston area
• Researcher and developer, Harvard Project Zero

• Spencer Foundation Research Communications Grant, 2021
• Spencer Foundation Research Grant, 2016-2017
• Jesuit Foundation Research Grant, University of San Francisco, 2004 – 2005
• Spencer Foundation Research Training Grant, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 1995- 1998

• Pace, J. L. (2021). Hard Questions: Learning to Teach Controversial Issues. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
• Pace, J. L. (2019). Contained risk-taking: Preparing pre-service teachers to teach controversial issues in three countries. Theory & Research in Social Education, 47.
• Pace, J. L. (2015). The Charged Classroom: Predicaments and Possibilities for Democratic Teaching. New York, NY: Routledge.
• Bixby J. & Pace, J. L. (Eds.). (2008). Educating Democratic Citizens in Troubled Times: Qualitative Studies of Current Efforts. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
• Pace, J. L. & Hemmings, A. (Eds.). (2006). Classroom Authority: Theory, Research, and Practice. New York, NY: Routledge.

Selected Media Appearances

• Visions of Education podcast Hard Questions with Judy Pace
• Education for Sustainable Democracy podcast Contained Risk-taking with Judy Pace
• This Week in California Teaching Controversial Issues with Pedro Noguera and Judy Pace

Courses

• Learning and Teaching
• Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice
• Curriculum Currents and Controversies
• Curriculum Development and Design
• Teaching Controversies
• Qualitative Research