EDUCATION
| Degree | Area of Study | University |
|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. | Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, Curriculum and Instruction | Indiana University |
| Ed.M. | Curriculum and Instruction | University of Illinois |
| B.S. | Integrated Social Studies Education | Miami University |
| B.A. | History, Spanish minor | Miami University |
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Social studies teacher risk taking
Social studies state policy and standards
Teachers’ emotions and emotional management
History of teacher licensure exams
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Cowden, R., & O’Brien, K. P. (2025). A content analysis investigating the framing of anti-CRT laws and their impacts on social studies teacher agency. Teachers College Record, 127(5), 123-151. https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681251361986
Cuenca, A., & O’Brien, K. P. (2026). Revisiting United States v. South Carolina: The birth of the modern teacher licensure exam. The Educational Forum, 90(2), 220–236.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00131725.2026.2617633
O’Brien, K. P. (2026). Teaching social studies as edgework. The Journal of Social Studies Research, 50(3), 135-150. https://doi.org/10.1177/0885985X251404051
O’Brien, K. P., & Cowden, R. (2026). Legislating a la carte: An analysis of K-12 ethnic studiesstate laws from 2020-2025. The Social Studies, Advance Online Publication, 1–17.https://doi.org/10.1080/00377996.2026.2644993
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Kyle P. O’Brien researches the influence of political contexts on secondary social studies education. He approaches this focus by analyzing the contents and framing of state policy and standards, and by investigating teachers’ emotions and decisions to take risks amid their perceived constraints. Additionally, Dr. O’Brien has also researched the history of teacher licensure exams and remains interested in this and other subfields of teacher education research.
Dr. O’Brien previously taught secondary social studies in the United States and China, where he also served as department chair for a network of 15 international schools. He is originally from Lisle, Illinois, and in his free time, Dr. O’Brien enjoys reading, baking, and playing with his golden retriever, Ellie.