PERSONAL DATA

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology. Carnegie Mellon University, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. 2005-2011.
Advised by: David Klahr (chair), Sharon Carver, Marsha Lovett, Robert Siegler
B.A. with Departmental Honors in Psychology, Minor in Business Administration. University of Miami, College of Arts & Science. 2001-2005. Honors Thesis advisor: Daryl Greenfield.
 
APPOINTMENTS & AFFILIATIONS
Assistant Professor of Education, School of Education & Human Development, University of Virginia. 2016-present
Affiliated Faculty, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia. 2019-present
Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology, Department of Psychology, Rhodes College. 2014-2016
Postdoctoral Fellow, Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center, Temple University. 2011-2014.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS
Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
Cognitive Development Society (CDS)
American Education Research Association (AERA)
International Mind, Brain and Education Society (IMBES)
European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI)

SCHOLARSHIP

GRANTS
  • Jirout, J. (PI) (2022-2027). CAREER: Promoting science motivation and learning through instructional support of curiosity. National Science Foundation. ($865,251) 
  • Jirout, J., Opila, E. J., Wylie, C. D. (2021-2022). Curiosity out of the classroom: The impact of research experience on undergraduate students. 3 Cavaliers, Office of the Vice President for Research, University of Virginia. ($60,000)
  • Vitiello, V., Jirout, J., Evans, T. (2021-2022). IDEA: Bringing the Project Approach to Public Pre-K Programs: A Pilot Study. UVA School of Education and Human Development. ($10,000) Role: Co-I
  • Jirout, J. (PI). (2021-2023). Curiosity in the classroom: The science and application of curiosity-driven learning. Jacobs Foundation. (CHF 165’000)
  • Jirout, J. (PI). (2020-2023). Curiosity and Classrooms: An exploration of curiosity and the development of intellectual virtues in schools. John F. Templeton Foundation. ($799,935)
  • Jirout, J. (PI). (2017-2019). Motivating preschool students: Promotion of curiosity, growth mindset, and mastery goal orientation in teacher language in science and math. Spencer Foundation. ($49,880)
  • Jirout, J. (PI). (2017-2018). Motivating students: Promotion of curiosity, growth mindset, and mastery goal orientation in teacher language. Center for Curriculum Redesign. ($69,661)
  • Jirout, J. (2016). Curious about curiosity: The influence of young children’s achievement motivation on their curiosity. Faculty Development Endowment Grant, Rhodes College. ($5,000; declined- left institution)
  • Grissmer, D. (2013-2019). Developmental skills linked to math and science achievement: An interdisciplinary data-intensive approach to identification and improvement through experimental intervention. National Science Foundation. Role: 2017-2018 Contributor, curriculum development lead for coding and motivation. ($2.5M)
  • Jirout, J. (2010-2011). Curious about questions: A study of children’s curiosity and inquiry. Research Assistance for Graduate Students Grant, Carnegie Mellon University. ($4,000)
  • Jirout, J. (2008-2009). Children’s scientific curiosity: In search of an operational definition of an elusive concept. Research Assistance for Graduate Students Grant, Carnegie Mellon University. ($2,000)
  • Jirout, J. (2004). Psychology Research Initiatives Mentorship Experience, University of Miami. ($2,000).
  • Jirout, J. (2003). Psychology Research Initiatives Mentorship Experience, University of Miami. ($2,000).

HONORS AND AWARDS 
  • 2021-2023 Jacobs Foundation Research Fellow (With monetary award of CHF 165’000)
  • 2020-2021 Science of Teaching and Learning Scholar, Center for Teaching Excellence, UVA
  • 2019 Lasting Legacy honoree, Curry Education Council, UVA School of Education and Human Development              
  • 2016 Mellon Innovation Fellowship, Rhodes College. Declined; left institution. (With monetary award of $7,500)

PUBLICATIONS
*Indicates student author
Peer-Reviewed Articles
  • Jirout, J., Ruzek, E., Vitiello, V., Whittaker, J.V., & Pianta, R. (Accepted pending minor revisions). School enjoyment and the relation to the development of general knowledge. Child Development. 
  • Jirout, J., Zumbrunn, S., Evans, N., & Vitiello, V. (2022). Development and testing of the Curiosity in Classrooms Framework coding protocol. Frontiers in Psychology.
  • Evans*, N., Jirout, J., Scoville*, J., Wylie, C., & Opila, E. (In Press). “Where could this take me and what kind of interesting stuff could I do with that?”: The role of curiosity in undergraduate learning. Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education.
  • Jirout, J., *Little, O., & *Carrol, M. (2022). Creating authentic engagement in online study participation for children. SAGE Research Methods.
  • *Hasan, F., Jirout, J., *Garzione, S., & Kranz, S. (2021). Changes in Learning Outcomes after Dietary Intervention in Preschoolers: A Pilot Study. Nutrients, 13(6), 1797.  https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13061797.
  • *Eisen, S., *Matthews, S., & Jirout, J. (2021). Parents’ and Children’s Gendered Beliefs About Toys and Screen Media. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 74, 101276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2021.101276.
  • Jirout, J. & Klahr, D. (2020) Questions – and some answers – about young children’s question asking. Journal of Cognition and Development, 20(5), 729-753. doi:10.1080/15248372.2020.1832492.
  • Jirout, J. (2020). Supporting early scientific thinking through curiosity and question asking. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1717. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01717.
  • Ruzek, E., Jirout, J., Schenke, K., Vitiello, V., Whittaker, J. V., & Pianta, R. (2020). Using self-report surveys to measure PreK children’s academic orientations: A psychometric evaluation. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 55-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.10.012.
  • Jirout, J., LoCasale-Crouch, J., Turnbull, K., *Gu, Y., *Cubides, M., *Garzione, S., Evans, T., Weltman, A., & Kranz, S. (2019). How Lifestyle Factors Affect Cognitive and Executive Function and the Ability to Learn in Children. Nutrients, 11(8), 1952. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081953.
  • Jirout, J., Holmes, C., *Ramsook, K. A., & Newcombe, N. (2018). Scaling up spatial development: A closer look at children’s scaling ability and its relation to number knowledge. Mind, Brain, and Education, 12(3), 110-119. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12182.
  • Jirout, J. & Newcombe, N. (2015). Building blocks for developing spatial skills: Evidence from a large representative U.S. sample. Psychological Science, 26(3), 303-310.
  • Jirout, J. J., & Newcombe, N. S. (2014). Mazes and Maps: Can Young Children Find Their Way? Mind, Brain, and Education, 8(2), 89-96.
  • Jirout, J. & Klahr, D. (2012). Children’s scientific curiosity: In search of an operational definition of an elusive concept. Developmental Review, 32 (2), 125-160. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2012.04.002.
  • Klahr, D., Zimmerman, C. & Jirout, J. (2011). Educational interventions to enhance, enrich, and encourage children’s scientific thinking. Science, 333 (6045), 971-975. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1204528.
  • Jirout, J. (2011). Curiosity and the development of question generation skills. Proceedings of the AAAI 2011 Fall Symposium on Question Generation. Menlo Park, CA: Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) Press.
  • Greenfield, D. B., Jirout, J., Dominguez, X., Greenberg, A. Maier, M., Fuccillo, J. (2009). Science in the preschool classroom: A programmatic research agenda to improve science readiness. Early Education and Development, 20(2), 238-264.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10409280802595441.
 
Chapters in Edited Volumes
  • Jirout, J. and *Matthews, S. (Publication date of June, 2022). Developing intellectual character: An educational perspective on how uncertainty-driven curiosity can support learning. In R. Beghetto and G. Jaegger (Eds.) Uncertainty: A catalyst for creativity, learning and development. New York, NY: Springer.
  • Jirout, J. and Newcombe, N. S. (2018). Relative magnitude as a key idea in mathematics cognition. In K. S. Mix & M. T. Battista (Eds.) Visualizing Mathematics: The Role of Spatial Reasoning in Mathematical Thought. New York, NY: Springer.
  • Jirout, J., Vitiello, V., & Zumbrunn, S. (2018). Curiosity in Schools. In G. Gordon (Ed.) The New Science of Curiosity. Hauppauge, NY: Nova.
  • Jirout, J. (2016). Curiosity. In D. Couchenour & J. Chrismen (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Contemporary Early Childhood Education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Jirout, J. & Pace, A. (2015). Scientific concepts, development in children. In J. D. Wright (Editor) International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2nd Edition. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Limited.
  • Jirout, J. & Zimmerman, C. (2015). Science process skills in young children. In K. Trundle & M. Saçkes (Eds.), Research in Early Childhood Science Education. New York, NY: Springer.
  • Klahr, D., Matlen, B. & Jirout, J. (2013). Children as scientific thinkers. In G. Feist & M. Gorman (Eds.), Handbook of the Psychology of Science. New York, NY: Springer.

TEACHING AND SERVICE
  • CURRENT COURSES:
    • EDLF 3150: Infant and Child Development
    • EDLF 3160: Educational Psychology
    • EDLF 5260: Cognitive Psychology and Education 
  • CURRENT AND PAST PHD STUDENTS:
    • Sierra Eisen, PhD. 2017-2020 
    • Shoronda Matthews, PhD. 2018-2022 
    • Ryan Burke, MEd. 2021-2025 (expected)
  • CURRENT MAJOR SERVICE ROLES:
    • Chair, Diversity Action Committee, University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development
    • Awards Committee Member, University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development 
    • School of Education and Human Development Faculty Senator Representative, University of Virginia 
    • Teaching Committee Member, Society for Research in Child Development