Tugce B. Arda Tuncdemir, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, School of Behavioral Sciences and Education
Olmsted Building , W331-J
Penn State Harrisburg
777 West Harrisburg Pike
Middletown, PA, 17057

Dr. Arda Tuncdemir earned her Ph.D. from the Curriculum and Instruction Department with an Early Childhood Education emphasis at Penn State University. Her research interests are play, creative drama, social-emotional learning, anti-bias education, culturally responsive pedagogy, ethics in early childhood, and teacher education, shared through presentations, book chapters, and journals. She has been awarded the PPPIF at NAEYC Walter F. Drew Emerging Play Scholar Award 2018 and is the 2022-2023 President of The Association for the Study of Play.

  • Play
  • Creative Drama
  • Social-Emotional Learning
  • Anti-Bias Education
  • Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
  • Ethics in Early Childhood
  • Teacher Education.

Arda Tuncdemir, T. B. & Napoli, M. (Accepted). Exploring the Impact of Preservice Teachers' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) through Children's Literature. Early Childhood Education Journal.

Guirguis, R., & Arda Tuncdemir, T. (2024). Developing a Playful Curriculum in the Higher Education Classroom. The New York Academy of Public Education Research Journal, 13(1), 11-16. https://nyape.org/research-journals/

Kharod, D., Guirguis, R., Longley, J., Arda Tuncdemir, T., Sutterby, J., Kamen, M., & Wisneski, D. (2024). Teacher Educators’ Perspectives, Beliefs, and Practices. In M. K. F. & D. H. Cortez-Castro (Ed.), Re-Exploring Play and Playfulness in Early Childhood Teacher Education: Narratives, Reflections & Practices (1st ed.). Routledge.

Arda Tuncdemir, T., & Guirguis, R. (2024). The Effects of COVID-19 on Socio-Dramatic Play. In R. P. & R. Guirguis (Ed.), The Effects of COVID-19 on Early Childhood Education: Research and Implications (1st ed.). Ethics Press. https://ethicspress.com/products/the-effects-of-covid-19-on-early-child…

Arda Tuncdemir, T. B., Burroughs, M. B., & Moore, G. (2022). Effects of philosophical ethics in early childhood on preschool children’s social– emotional competence and theory of mind. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 16(5), 1–19. https://ijccep.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40723-022-00098-w

Arda Tuncdemir, T. B. (2020). Pretend, Move and Show: Supporting Early Childhood Practitioners' Professional Development through Incorporation with Creative Drama Activities. Doctoral Dissertation. The Pennsylvania State University, PA.

Johnson, J. E., Sevimli-Celik, S., Al-Mansour, M., Arda Tuncdemir, T., & Dong, P. I. (2019). Play in early childhood education. In O. N. Saracho (Ed.), Handbook of research on the education of young children (4th ed., pp. 165–175). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9780429442827/handbook…

Burroughs, M. B., Valbusa, F., Arda Tuncdemir, T. B., & Mortari, L. (2018). Melarete And PEECh: Two Educational Approaches to Developing Ethical and Emotional Competencies. RicercAzione, 10(2), 117–134. 

Greenberg, M. T., Domitrovich, C. E., Ocak Karabay, S., Arda Tuncdemir, T., & Gest, S. (2018). Focusing on Teacher-Children Relationship Perception and Children’s Social Emotional Behaviors - the PATHS Preschool Program. International Journal of Educational Research Review, 3(1), 8–20.  https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24331/ijere.372270

Ocak Karabay, S., & Arda Tuncdemir, T. (2018). The Assessment of Preschool Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies Program in Terms of Teachers’ Views. Marmara Üniversitesi Atatürk Eğitim Fakültesi Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 47(47), 51–67.  https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15285/maruaebd.2728

Burroughs, M. B., & Arda Tuncdemir, T. B. (2017). Philosophical Ethics in Early Childhood: A Pilot Study. Journal of Philosophy in Schools, 4(1), 74–101.  https://doi.org/10.21913/jps.v4i1.1420

Bilir Seyhan, G., Ocak Karabay, S., Arda Tuncdemir, T., Greenberg, M. T., & Domitrovich, C. E. (2017). The Effects of Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies Preschool Program on Teacher–Children Relationships and Children's Social Competence in Turkey. International Journal of Psychology, 54(1), 61–69. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12426 

Burroughs, M. D. & Arda Tuncdemir, T. B. (2016). Philosophical Ethics in Early Childhood (PEECh) Instructor Manual. Unpublished manuscript. The Pennsylvania State University: PA.

Ocak Karabay, S., & Arda Tuncdemir, T. (2014). The Comparison of Preventive Intervention Programs in Early Childhood Period. Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 29(4), 171–188.

Arda Tuncdemir, T., & Ocak Karabay, S. (2012). Social Competence and Alternative Thinking Strategies Preschool Curriculum. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 12(4), 13–20.

Arda, T. B. (2011). Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies-PATHS- Preschool Program on Preschool Children’s Social Development, Master of Art Dissertation. Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.

Ocak Karabay, S., & Arda Tuncdemir, T. (2011). Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies Program in Preventive Intervention Science. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education (INT-JECSE), 3(2), 129–148.

Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, The Pennsylvania State University
M.S. in Early Childhood Education, Ege University, Turkiye

EDUC 305: Creative Arts
EDUC 403: Curriculum in Early Childhood Education
EDUC 404: Young Children's Behavior: Observation and Evaluation
EDUC 410: The Child and Social Institutions
EDUC 495A: Junior Field Experience