Stephanie Mahfood

Stephanie Mahfood, PhD, is interim dean for the School of Education, director of Field Experience, and an associate professor of special education in the Department of Teacher Education. She has taught K-12 learners with special needs in a variety of settings, including Tunisia, North Africa, where she was assigned for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Mahfood's research interests center on bridging the research to practice gap in order to support individuals with disabilities and best prepare preservice teachers. Her past research publications address interventions for dental phobia in individuals with severe developmental disabilities, library collaborations to support graduate students in applied research experiences, and the use of social media communities of practice to promote preservice teacher resilience. Mahfood's current research and practice interests focus on how to design field experiences to develop teachers who are reflective, innovative, collaborative, and skilled. She has designed and implemented innovative field experiences embedding applied research projects that preservice teachers co-design and implement with cooperating teachers in the field.

She is currently investigating the effects of Mursion classroom simulation technology and video-enhanced observation (VEO) on teacher reflection about instructional practice. Mahfood's teaching philosophy is anchored in teaching teachers how to teach by teaching. Her course experiences are deliberately designed to model instructional practices such as co-teaching, instructional differentiation, executive function strategies, and instructional scaffolding. She has designed curricular experiences and instructional tools focusing on assisting preservice teachers in systematically assessing and developing their teacher presence in the classroom.

Mahfood has regularly provided trainings and consultation to a variety of organizations within the St. Louis community including the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis, The Soulard School, and Lafayette Industries.