Dr. Alapala is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum at the University of Missouri. Before joining her current position, she taught mathematics content courses and mathematics teaching methods courses at the undergraduate level. Her journey in education began as a middle school math teacher in Türkiye, where she laid the foundation of her commitment to mathematics education.
   
She is interested in teacher learning and the enhancement of pre-service teacher education and professional development. Her current research primarily concerns innovative methods of cultivating pre-service teachers’ noticing of children’s mathematical thinking.
   
She holds a Ph.D. in Math Education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, an M.A. in Elementary Science and Mathematics Education from Middle East Technical University (Türkiye), and a B.A. in Mathematics Education from Boğaziçi University (Türkiye).

Areas of Expertise

• Mathematics teacher education
• Pre-service mathematics teacher education
• Teachers’ noticing of children’s mathematical thinking