International Literacy Association
Katia Ciampa, PhD
- Associate Professor
Affiliated Programs
- Cognitive Studies in Reading (EdD)
- Reading Education (MEd & Certification)
- Secondary Education (MEd & Certification)
- Education (Certificates)
- Education (PA Certifications & Endorsements)
- Elementary Education & Special Education (PK-12) (BA & Certification)
- Elementary Education (MEd & Certification)
Education
- PhD, Education, Cognition & Learning (2014)
Brock University (Ontario, Canada)
About Me
Katia Ciampa, PhD. Is an Associate Professor in the Center for Education at Widener University, where she teaches undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral courses in literacy education. Katia’s research examines how preservice and in-service educators develop the knowledge, self-efficacy, and instructional practices needed to provide inclusive, culturally responsive, and digitally integrated literacy instruction. She is particularly interested in literacy teacher self-efficacy and in culturally responsive approaches to critical, ethical digital and AI literacy in K–12 and higher education settings.
Media Expertise
- K–12 literacy education
- Structured literacy and the science of reading
- Teacher literacy self-efficacy and professional learning
- Culturally responsive literacy pedagogy
- Critical and ethical digital and AI literacy
- Technology-integrated teaching and learning
- Literacy coaching and instructional leadership
- Community-engaged literacy research
Publications
- Ciampa, K., & Sembhi, R. K. (2026). Stories like me: Building students’ cultural identity through digital storytelling. Literacy Research & Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388071.2026.2698516
- Wolfe, Z., & Ciampa, K. (2026). Exploring upper elementary teachers’ perceptions and practices of AI integration through a TPACK lens: A professional development case study. Professional Development in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2026.2641583
- Ciampa, K., Wolfe, Z., & Macdonald, E. M. (2025). Integrating AI in upper elementary education: Developmental scaffolding and ethical considerations through a sociocultural lens. Computers in the Schools, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2025.2602506
- Ciampa, K., Wolfe, Z., & Storey, J. (2024). Faculty perceptions of the impact of professional development on online teaching practices. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2024.2398518
- Ciampa, K., & Reisboard, D. (2024). Empowering teacher educators: Advancing culturally responsive practices through professional development. Action in Teacher Education, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2024.2357088
- Ciampa, K., Wolfe, Z., & Hensley, M. (2024). From entry to transformation: Exploring AI integration in teachers’ K-12 assessment practices. Technology, Pedagogy, and Education, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2024.2413378
In the Media
- International Literacy Association
James Baumann Named Recipient of International Literacy Association's William S. Gray Citation of Merit
- Inside Higher Ed
Supporting First-Year Doctoral Students
- Alpha Upsilon Alpha
Alpha Upsilon Alpha
Noteworthy
Article by Faculty and Staff Published in Journal of Research on Technology in Education
A new article authored by Katia Ciampa, associate professor and director of reading programs, Zora Wolfe, associate professor and associate dean of the College of Health & Human Services, and Jessica Storey, director of teaching and learning with technology, has been published in the Journal of Research on Technology in Education.
The article, titled “Faculty perceptions of the impact of professional development on online teaching practices,” examines the success of the trio’s one-year cohort in the Online Teaching Fellows Program at Widener.
The 14-week program included graduate and undergraduate faculty from across the university for professional development activities and discussions focused on creating authentic and equitable learning opportunities for students.
Education Professors Publish Article in Teaching in Higher Education
Dr. Katia Ciampa, an assistant professor in the Center for Education, and Dr. Zora Wolfe, an associate professor in the Center for Education, published a peer-reviewed article in "Teaching in Higher Education" in September 2020. The article, titled "From isolation to collaboration: creating an intentional community of practice within the doctoral dissertation proposal writing process," was a retrospective case study to examine the implementation of peer-review practices in a doctoral dissertation proposal course.
Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/education-professors-publish-article-teaching-higher-education