Dr. Christopher Kirchgasler

Biography

Christopher Kirchgasler is an Assistant Professor in the Curriculum Instruction Department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research interests encompass the global trends in education, international assessments, teacher observation systems, and the role of low-fee, for-profit schools in the education reform landscape. He critically examines the psychological aspects of education, including the qualities of 'curiosity' and 'grit', alongside curricular design principles that emphasize development and efficiency in modern schooling. His work highlights the colonial residues that underpin educational assumptions about 'nature,' children, and learning, and the unintended consequences that often result in exclusion and difference. Kirchgasler's publications have appeared in leading peer-reviewed journals such as the American Educational Research Journal and Critical Studies in Education. He has co-edited important works including the upcoming Bloomsbury Handbook of Foucault in Education and has extensive experience teaching courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Prior to his role at UW–Madison, he was an Assistant Professor in Curriculum Studies at the University of Kansas and has experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea. He is particularly interested in mentoring prospective graduate students who wish to explore curriculum studies through critical, post-colonial, and post-foundational lenses.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards