Regina Toolin's research focuses on sociocultural models of teaching and learning in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) teacher education. She is particularly interested in promoting and researching STEM classrooms that are grounded in the principles and practices of place-based and project-based teaching and learning. Her teaching interests include curriculum, instruction, assessment, diversity and place-based education.
Dr. Toolin is Principal Investigator (PI) of the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Scholarship Program and the GEAR UP Champlain Research Experience for Secondary Teachers (CREST), a co-PI for the National Science Foundation Collaborative Research Network Cluster: Using Big Data approaches to assess ecohydrological resilience across scales. (PI: J. Perdrial; Co-PIs: K. Underwood, R.Toolin, B. Lee, D. Rizzo), and Senior Personnel for the National Science Foundation. EPSCoR RII Track 2 FEC: Leveraging Intelligent Informatics and Smart Data for Improved Understanding of Northern Forest Ecosystem Resiliency (INSPIRES). (PIs: A. D’Amato (UVM), A. Weiskittel (UM), S. Ollinger (UNH).
She also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Science Education and Technology and has published her research pertaining to STEM teaching and learning in The Science Teacher, Science Education, International Journal of Science Education, Journal of Science Education and Technology, Electronic Journal for Research in Science and Mathematics Education, Journal of Computational Science Education, International Journal of Social Policy and Education and the Journal of Geoscience Education.