Education

2003 The University of Tampa, B.S.
2007 University of South Florida, M.A.
2015 University of South Florida, Ph.D.

View CV

Courses Taught

Undergraduate:
Teaching Science in the Elementary School
Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School
Teaching Reading through Diagnostic Assessment and Instruction
Instructional Laboratory II

Graduate:
Teacher as Research Scholar
Inquiring Minds

Career Specialties

Dr. Yvonne Franco’s areas of academic interest and specialization center on STEM teacher preparation grounded ininquiry-based pedagogical practices. Her work focuses on preparing teacher candidates to teach responsively through inquiry, practitioner research, artificial intelligence (AI), and immersive technologies such as mixed reality. She cultivates differentiated, innovation-driven learning environments that equip future educators to integrate emerging technologies while maintaining strong pedagogical foundations that support equitable, student-centered learning.

Professional and Community Activities

Franco’s research agenda examines the cultivation of an inquiry stance among preservice and novice teachers, particularly asthey learn to teach STEM and literacy in increasingly technology-rich environments. Her recent scholarship exploresthe integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) andimmersive technologies in teacher preparation, including preservice teachers’ evolving beliefs, competencies, and instructional practices. Her work has been published injournals such as Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching Pre-K–12, Computers & Education: X Reality, and Education Sciences, with additional manuscripts currently under review in leading teacher education and mathematics education journals. Franco regularly presents her work at national conferences,including the American Educational Research Association(AERA), the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE), the National Association for Research in Science Teaching(NARST), and the National Science Teaching Association(NSTA). She also serves as a co-designer and board member o fTeacher ServerAI and is a co-investigator on major grantinitiatives advancing artificial intelligence in postsecondary instruction. Her ongoing work bridges research, practice, and innovation to prepare teachers to thoughtfully integrate AI andimmersive technologies in ways that strengthen student learning. Since 2011, Franco has acted on a deep belief in the importance of strong university–school partnerships to supportteacher development. Over her 25-year career, she hasmentored and supervised hundreds of teacher candidatesthrough partnerships with elementary schools across Tampa Bay and professional organizations. She previously served as President of the Florida Association of Teacher Educators(FATE) and continues to contribute to the profession through research, leadership, and collaborative innovation that advances teacher education in the age of artificial intelligence

Honors and Awards

2025 CSSME Graduation Laurels
2022-2023   Presidential Recognition, Florida Association of Teacher Educators
2022-2024   Dr. W. Robert Houston Leadership Academy Scholar, Association of Teacher Educators
2020   Excellence in Undergraduate Education Award, University of South Florida
2003   Outstanding Educator Award, University of Tampa