Education

  • PhD 2024 – University of Nevada Las Vegas, Teacher Education
  • MA 2018 – University of Kent, French Studies
  • MS 2009 – Daemen University, Elementary Education
  • BA 2002 – University of Western Ontario, Psychology

Areas of Expertise

  • Artificial Intelligence in Education
  • Educational Technology
  • Instructional Design
  • Elementary and Middle Teacher Education
  • Science Education
  • Technology Integration
  • Curriculum Design
  • Online and Hybrid Learning

Background

Dr. Adjoa Mensah began her career as an elementary educator in Canada, where she taught for 15 years in French Immersion and Dual Language programs across grades K-8. Working in diverse classrooms sparked her interest in how thoughtful instructional design and educational technology can expand learning opportunities and support both students and teachers. Her experiences in K-12 education led her to pursue a career in teacher education, where she could help prepare future educators while contributing to research and innovation in teaching and learning.

Prior to joining the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Mensah served as a teacher educator and instructional designer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she taught elementary teacher preparation courses, designed online learning experiences, and collaborated on multiple grant-funded projects spanning STEM education, computer science, and teacher professional learning. These experiences strengthened her commitment to bridging research and practice and continue to shape her work as Director of the B.A. in Elementary Education program and Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Education.

Research

Dr. Mensah’s research examines how emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, can be used to improve teaching, learning, and instructional design. Her work explores how elementary and middle grades educators plan for instruction with AI, develop the knowledge and confidence to integrate technology effectively, and design learning experiences that promote student-centered learning. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, she studies the quality of technology integration, with particular interest in science education, educational technology, and AI-enhanced instructional design. Through this work, she seeks to translate research into practical strategies that help educators make thoughtful, evidence-based decisions about teaching with technology.

Selected Professional Affiliations

  • American Educational Research Association (AERA)
  • Society of Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE)
  • Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE)

Selected Publications

  • Mensah, A., Vo, T., & Ko, U. H. (2026). From planning to practice: Technology integration knowledge and enacted practice in elementary and middle school science. Education Sciences, 16(6), 958. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16060958
  • Koerber, N., Marquez-Mendez, M., Mensah, A., Fasching-Varner, K., & Schrader, P. G. (2023). Sustaining teacher needs: A systematic narrative review exploring teacher retention, attrition, and motivation. Literature Reviews in Education and Human Services, 2(2), 1-20.
  • Jackson, I., Gonzales, M., Mensah, A. (2021). It’s not equitable if it’s not culturally sustaining: teaching and learning in 1:1 laptop schools. Journal of Multicultural Education. 17, Dec. 46-68.

View more publications on Google Scholar »