Nancy Caukin, EdD

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Col 3:17

• Research Interests
  Teacher Candidate Self-Efficacy
• Teaching & Education

  Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction
  Tennessee State University
  Nashville, Tennessee
  2010
  Dissertation: Science Writing Heuristics: A Writing-to-Learn Strategy and its Effect on Science Achievement, Science Self-Efficacy, and Scientific Epistemological View. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED524583

  Master of Science in Teaching, Biology
  Middle Tennessee State University
  Murfreesboro, Tennessee
  2000

  Bachelor of Science in Biology
  Secondary Education Minor
  Middle Tennessee State University
  Murfreesboro, Tennessee
  1989

• Professional Experience

  My professional work focuses on teacher education, educator preparation program improvement, and the professional growth of practicing teachers. I have contributed to scholarship and professional conversations on edTPA, Residency I experiences, teacher candidate self-efficacy, professional learning communities, and innovative approaches to STEM teacher development. My work also addresses contemporary issues in education, including AI in education, cyber safety in education, edtech, mentoring relationships, and teacher self-care. Through collaborative research, presentations, and publications, I have worked to advance practical and research-informed approaches to strengthening teacher preparation programs and in-service teacher practices in undergraduate, graduate, and professional development spaces.

• Selected Publications

  Trail, L., Caukin, N. (2025). Balancing benefits and barriers: Exploring the impacts of cellphone bans on student engagement, well-being, and learning. International Journal of the Whole Child, 10(2). 26-31. https://libjournals.mtsu.edu/index.php/ijwc/article/view/2675/1629

  Caukin, N. (2025). Raising the bar: Improving mathematics education to equip students for success. International Journal of the Whole Child, 10(1). 44-55. https://libjournals.mtsu.edu/index.php/ijwc/article/view/2636/1581

  Aust, A. & Caukin, N. (2024). AI and academic integrity: Guiding educators through the evolving challenge of student plagiarism. International Journal of the Whole Child, 9(2). 73-78. https://libjournals.mtsu.edu/index.php/ijwc/article/view/2560/1518

  Caukin, N. (2023). Screen Time: Issues and Recommendations. International Journal of the Whole Child, 9(1). 47-53. https://libjournals.mtsu.edu/index.php/ijwc/article/view/2500/1475

  Caukin, N., Vinson, L., Trail, L., Wright, C. (2023). Entering a new frontier: AI in education. International Journal of the Whole Child, 8(2). 47-55. https://libjournals.mtsu.edu/index.php/ijwc/article/view/2453/1443

  Caukin, N., Dillard, H. Goodin, T., Hover, A.B.E, Carter, L. (2022). Looking back, looking forward: A retrospective analysis of a pre-service teacher preparation course. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2022.160212

  Hover, A.B.E., Carter, J.L., Caukin, N. (2022). Exploring differences in teacher preparation by content area:  EdTPA scores and subject matter expert perspectives. The Teacher Educator, 57(2), 175-197, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730.2021.1974626

  Caukin, N.G. & Brinthaupt, T.M. (2017). Using a teaching philosophy statement as a professional development tool for teacher candidates. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 11(2), 1-9.

• Selected Awards Received
  • North Greenville University Certificate for Scholarly Research in Education, 2023
  • Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Finalist – Association of Teacher Education, 2016
• My Story

  My original plan was to become a pharmacist. While working as a pharmacy technician during college, I would collect the information inserts from medicine bottles and study them. I was fascinated by pharmacology, but I quickly realized that counting pills was far too monotonous for me. God made it clear that He had a different plan. Teaching was my true calling.

  Ironically, after earning my license to teach secondary science, there were no science teaching positions available in my area. Instead, I began work on my master’s degree and accepted a position as the director of a 750-acre nature preserve, where we developed a summer camp program. Serving as a camp director provided incredible opportunities to engage in informal education in an outdoor setting. After seven years, I sensed God calling me into the classroom.

  I then began a fifteen-year career as a high school science teacher, track coach, and Student Government sponsor. During those years, I completed my doctoral studies with the hope of helping prepare the next generation of science teachers through higher education. That desire led me to Middle Tennessee State University where I taught for seven years and served in the MTeach programs and Director of the Ready to Teach secondary program. Eventually God called me to North Greenville University, where I have the privilege of teaching and serving as Associate Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs in the College of Education.

  Looking back, I am overwhelmed by the ways God has faithfully provided exactly what I needed for each next step. His generosity has been evident throughout the journey, including the blessing of bringing our family closer to loved ones.

• Related Links
  • International Journal of the Whole Child
  • ResearchGate
  • My YouTube Channel