Kadir Bahar

Biography

Dr. Bahar is an Assistant Professor of Gifted and Creative Education (GCE) in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Georgia. After graduating from Bilkent University with a degree in Industrial Engineering, he completed his Ph.D. in Special Education with a focus on Gifted Education and minor in Mathematics Education at the University of Arizona. His research interests include excellence gaps, mathematical creativity, and problem solving .

Before his position at UGA, Dr. Bahar was a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, served as the coordinator of graduate programs in Gifted Education and directed youth programs including Youth in College and STEM for Young Scholars. His research has appeared in journals including Gifted Child Quarterly and Journal of Advanced Academics. Currently Dr. Bahar serves as the associate editor of the Gifted and Talented International, and he is in the editorial board of the Gifted Child Quarterly and Gifted Education International.

Interests

  • Excellence Gaps
  • Mathematical Creativity
  • Talent Development
  • Problem Solving

Education

  •  Ph.D in Special Education / Psychoeducational Studies
    University of Arizona
  •  B.S. in Industrial Engineering
    Bilkent University

Concentrations

Contact

 Aderhold Hall, 624D
 706-542-6907 (office)
 @akadirbahar

Research Summary

My research broadly explores achievement and creativity, both within and outside of school contexts, through equity and empowerment lenses, with theoretical frameworks from critical pedagogy and cognitive psychology. My scholarly work focuses on two overlapping but distinct strands: First, I investigate excellence gaps, in particular gender and racial disparities in advanced academic programs in STEM subjects, with specific attention on mathematics achievement. My second area of research focuses on educational strategies for enhancing mathematical creativity and problem solving in PreK-12 settings. More specifically this research is nested in the heart of the discussion that focuses on the role of teachers and educational setting on the development of creative potential. I use a range of advanced quantitative methods including but not limited to multi-level modelling, hierarchical and logistic regression models, Q-factor analysis, and Mann Kendal trend analysis.