Thomas Philip

Philip’s research focuses on how teachers make sense of power and hierarchy in classrooms, schools, and society. He is interested in how teachers act on their sense of agency as they navigate and ultimately transform classrooms and institutions toward more equitable, just, and democratic practices and outcomes. His recent scholarship explores the possibilities and tensions that emerge with the use of artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital learning technologies in the classroom, particularly discourses about the promises of these tools with respect to the significance or dispensability of teacher pedagogy.

Philip is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and his research has been recognized by the AERA Division K Midcareer Award; the Spencer Midcareer Grant; the AERA Division G (Social Context of Education) Early Career Award; the AERA Division C (Learning & Instruction) Jan Hawkins Award for Early Career Contributions to Humanistic Research and Scholarship in Learning Technologies; the National Association for Multicultural Education’s Research Award; and the National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship. Philip directs the Berkeley Teacher Education Program, which was awarded the 2023 AERA Division K Award for Innovations in Research on Equity and Social Justice in Teaching and Teacher Education.