October 2025
AERA Past President David Berliner passed away on September 26 at the age of 87. A Regents Professor Emeritus at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University (ASU), Berliner served as AERA president in 1985–86 and remained an active and engaged member of the education research community throughout his life.
“We are deeply saddened by Dr. Berliner’s passing,” said AERA Executive Director Tabbye Chavous. “He was a pioneer in education psychology and a mentor and inspiration to countless scholars. His work helped shape how we understand teaching, learning, and the professional lives of educators.”
A remembrance by ASU described Berliner as “one of the most influential and admired education researchers in America,” known “for both the complexity and clarity of his thinking, as well as a communication style that, in another time, might have been described as having a common touch.” His ability to connect deep research with broad public understanding was a hallmark of his scholarship and his presence in the field.
Over the course of his career, Berliner authored more than 400 articles, books, and chapters in educational psychology, teacher education, and educational policy. His influential works include The Manufactured Crisis—a bestselling critique of the myths about public schools—and six editions of the widely used textbook Educational Psychology.
Berliner’s scholarship and public engagement earned him numerous recognitions, including AERA’s Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award (1996) and Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award (2016).
He received his BA and MA in psychology from University of California, Los Angeles, and California State University at Los Angeles, respectively, and his PhD in educational psychology from Stanford University.
In his 1986 AERA Presidential Address, “In Pursuit of the Expert Pedagogue,” Berliner explored the qualities of exceptional teaching, urging the education research field to deepen its understanding of what makes teaching both an art and a science.
In addition to his AERA leadership, Berliner was an elected member of the National Academy of Education and the International Academy of Education, and a fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.
AERA asked two past presidents to share brief remarks on Berliner and his legacy and impact. Their comments are below. His passing leaves a deep void in the education research community, but his insight, humor, and humanity will continue to shape generations of scholars and educators.
“David Berliner was a prolific scholar and through much of his career, he focused on learning and teaching research. His interests also had a strong moral dimension, and his mission grew to call out inequities and policies that were damaging to students and educators. I remember best our conversations where David often sounded like he was just about to break into laughter, something he did when sharing funny observations. David was a kind, modest, and enormously committed person to those close to him and to our field.” – 2006–07 AERA President Eva Baker, Distinguished Research Professor, University of California, Los Angeles
“David will be remembered as a prolific scholar who had a deep respect for teachers and public education. Equally important, he was a public intellectual who challenged us to appreciate our schools, support our educators, and work to improve our educational system. He never stopped caring, and he never stopped inspiring others to care. What better evidence of this than the fact that his final book, Public Education for Our Nation’s Democracy: Commentaries on Schooling in America, was published on the day he passed. My reflections would not be complete without remembering what a wonderful friend and mentor David was. He touched many lives, including mine, with his laughter, his love of life, and his joy in a good meal shared with friends. I will miss him!” – 2003–04 AERA President Hilda Borko, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education, Stanford University