Nicole Hansen, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
College of Human Development Culture and Media

Dr. Hansen is an Assistant Professor at Seton Hall University in the Department of Educational Studies. Broadly, Dr. Hansen’s research interests are focused on helping students with learning difficulties succeed. Her work has appeared in a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including Teacher Education and Special Education, Teaching Exceptional Children, Journal of Education for Teaching, Journal of Learning Disabilities, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, and Journal of Educational Psychology. 

In her first line of research, Dr. Hansen investigates the processes and skills that underlie mathematics achievement with an eye toward improving educational practice for students who are struggling in mathematics. Specifically, her work has focused on students’ learning of fractions, a topic that has been long-recognized as an area of difficulty for many U.S. students. Dr. Hansen’s most recent research, inspired by her teaching, focuses on how pre- and in-service teachers conceive of and engage with disability. She explores how and why disability is often excluded from conversations related to diversity and social justice.

Prior to joining the faculty at Seton Hall University, Dr. Hansen worked for seven years as a professor – beginning as an Assistant Professor and then as an Associate Professor – at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She received her Ph.D. in Education from the University of Delaware, M.A.T. in Special Education from The College of New Jersey, and B.S. in Special Education and Math/Science/Technology from The College of New Jersey. While at the University of Delaware, Dr. Hansen worked as a research assistant at the Center for Improving Learning of Fractions. Before pursuing her doctoral studies, Dr. Hansen worked as an inclusion teacher at the elementary level.