Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, The Constantiner School of Education
and The Sagol School of Neuroscience
Tel Aviv University
Email: reuvenb@post.tau.ac.il
Tel: +972-3-6408841
Room: Sharet building (Education), room 305
Webpage (School of Education): http://english.tau.ac.il/profile/reuvenb
Webpage (School of Neuroscience): http://www.sagol.tau.ac.il/en/faculty/babai-reuven/
ORCID ID: 
orcid.org/0000-0003-2231-4644
1991 - 1994: B.Sc. in Biology (Cum Laude). Program for Excellent Students, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University
1995 - 2001: Ph.D. in Microbiology (direct course Ph.D). Thesis under the supervision of Prof. Eliora Ron, titled: Regulatory aspects of the cellular response to cadmium in Escherichia coli. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University
2001 - 2002: Post-Doctorate in Science Education. Department of Science Education, The Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University
1997 - 1998: Development and updating of the ‘Advanced Molecular Biology’ laboratory course, Department of Natural Sciences, The Open University
2001 - 2004: Academic coordinator of the ‘Israeli Young Scientists Competition’, Bloomfield Science Museum, Jerusalem
2002 - 2006: Guest lecturer, Department of Science Education, The Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University
2005 - 2006: Coordinator of the Israeli Forum for Research in Biology Education (in Collaboration with Anat Yarden, WIS).
2005 - 2011: Head of the Life Sciences Education Program, Department of Science Education, The Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University
2006 - 2007: Coordinator of the Israeli Forum for Research in Biology Education (in Collaboration with Michal Zion, BIU).
2006 - 2008: Lecturer, Department of Science Education, The Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University
2007 - 2009: Head of the Continuing Education Program, Department of Science Education, The Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University
2008 - present: Senior Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, The Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University
2008 - present: Head of the Science Lab, Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, The Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University
2010 - present: Head of the High-school Science Education Program, Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, The Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University
2012 - present: Head of the Biology and Physics Teaching Certificate Programs, Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, The Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University
2003: Development of mathematical and scientific thinking-skills of junior high-school students. Awarded by: The Pedagogical Secretariat, Ministry of Education, Israel. 41,000 NIS for one year. (PI; additional PI: Ruth Stavy)
2004: Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) population. Awarded by: Chief Scientist Office, Ministry of Health, Israel. 160,000 NIS for two years. (CI; PI is Ariela Gigi)
2007: Intuitive Interference in Proportional Reasoning. Awarded by: The Israel Science Foundation, Israel. 400,000 NIS for four years. (PI; additional PI: Ruth Stavy)
2008: Development of a course for pre-service teachers that focus on advancement of thinking-skills of junior-high school and high school students. Awarded by: The Pedagogical Secretariat, Ministry of Education, Israel. 8,000 NIS for one year. (PI)
I am engaged in science and mathematics education in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in the School of Education and in the Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University.
In the last ten years my research focuses on students' reasoning, and conceptions in science and mathematics. These studies are done in collaboration with Prof. Ruth Stavy and we employ in our research cognitive and neuroscience techniques such as reaction time measurements and brain imaging. In our studies we focus on reasoning processes associated with overcoming intuitive interference in science and mathematics, their brain correlates and interventions aimed at helping students overcome these difficulties.
In addition, I am also studying students’ cognitive development and ways to accelerate cognitive development or specific reasoning skills in science education.
Peer-reviewed articles
Allaire-Duqutte, G., Babai, R., & Stavy, R. (in press). Interventions aimed at overcoming intuitive interference: Insights from brain-imaging and behavioral studies. Cognitive Processing. [link to Journal]
Babai, R., Cohen, E., & Stavy, R. (2018). Proportional reasoning: Reducing the interference of natural numbers through an intervention based on the problem-solving framework of executive functions. Neuroeducation, 5, 109-118. [link]
Stavy, R., Babai, R., & Kallai, A. Y. (2016). Proportional reasoning: The role of congruity and salience in behavioral and imaging research. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 224, 266-276. [link]
Babai, R., Nattiv, L., & Stavy, R. (2016). Comparison of perimeters: improving students’ performance by increasing the salience of the relevant variable. ZDM—The International Journal on Mathematics Education, 48, 367-378. [link]
Stavy, R., & Babai, R. (2016). Problem solving in science and mathematics: reaction time and brain imaging studies. Megamot, 50, 24-52. (in Hebrew) [link]
Babai, R., Shalev, E., & Stavy, R. (2015). A warning intervention improves students’ ability to overcome intuitive interference. ZDM—The International Journal on Mathematics Education, 47, 735-745. [link]
Babai, R., Younis, N., & Stavy, R. (2014). Involvement of inhibitory control mechanisms in overcoming intuitive interference. Neuroeducation, 3, 1-9. [link]
Babai, R., Eidelman, R. R., & Stavy, R. (2012). Preactivation of inhibitory control mechanisms hinders intuitive reasoning. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 10, 763-775. [link]
Babai, R., Zilber, H., Stavy, R., & Tirosh, D. (2010). The effect of intervention on accuracy of students' responses and reaction times to geometry problems. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 8, 185-201. [link]
Stavy, R., & Babai, R. (2010). Overcoming intuitive interference in mathematics: Insights from behavioral, brain imaging and intervention studies. ZDM—The International Journal on Mathematics Education, 42, 621-633. [link]
Babai, R., Sekal, R., & Stavy, R. (2010). Persistence of the intuitive conception of living things in adolescence. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 19, 20-26. [link]
Babai, R. (2010). Piagetian cognitive level and the tendency to use intuitive rules when solving comparison tasks. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 8, 203-221. [link]
Gigi, A., Babai, R., Penker, A., Hendler, T., & Korczyn, A. D. (2010). Prefrontal compensatory mechanism may enable normal semantic memory performance in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Journal of Neuroimaging, 20, 163-168. [link]
Babai, R., & Levit-Dori, T. (2009). Several CASE lessons can improve students’ control of variables reasoning scheme ability. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 18, 439-446. [link]
Stavy, R., & Babai, R. (2008). Complexity of shapes and quantitative reasoning in geometry. Mind, Brain, and Education, 2, 170-176. [link]
Babai, R., & Amsterdamer, A. (2008). The persistence of solid and liquid naive conceptions: a reaction time study. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 17, 553-559. [link]
Gigi, A., Babai, R., Katzav, E., Atkins, S., & Hendler, T. (2007). Prefrontal and parietal regions are involved in naming of objects seen from unusual viewpoints. Behavioral Neuroscience, 121, 836-844. [link]
Babai, R., Levyadun, T., Stavy, R., & Tirosh, D. (2006). Intuitive rules in science and mathematics: A reaction time study. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 37, 913-924. [link]
Babai, R., Brecher, T., Stavy, R., & Tirosh, D. (2006). Intuitive interference in probabilistic reasoning. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 4, 627-639. [link]
Stavy, R., Babai, R., Tsamir, P., Tirosh, D., Lin, F. L., & McRobbie, C. (2006). Are intuitive rules universal?. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 4, 417-436. [link]
Paitan, Y., Biran, D., Biran, I., Shechter, N., Babai, R., Rishpon, J., & Ron, E. Z. (2003). On-line and in situ biosensors for monitoring environmental pollution. Biotechnology advances, 22, 27-33. [link]
Biran, I., Babai, R., Levcov, K., Rishpon, J., & Ron, E. Z. (2000). Online and in situ monitoring of environmental pollutants: electrochemical biosensing of cadmium. Environmental Microbiology, 2, 285-290. [link]
Babai, R., Stern, B. E., Hacker, J., & Ron, E. Z. (2000). New fimbrial gene cluster of S-fimbrial adhesin family. Infection and immunity, 68, 5901-5907. [link]
Babai, R., & Ron, E. Z. (1998). An Escherichia coli gene responsive to heavy metals. FEMS microbiology letters, 167, 107-111. [link]
Babai, R., Blum‐Oehler, G., Stern, B. E., Hacker, J., & Ron, E. Z. (1997). Virulence patterns from septicemic Escherichia coli O78 strains. FEMS microbiology letters, 149, 99-105. [link]
Book chapters
Stavy, R., & Babai, R. (2016). Discrete and continuous presentation of quantities in science and mathematics education. In A Henik (Ed.) Continuous Issues In Numerical Cognition: How Many Or How Much. Academic Press. [link]
Babai, R., & Stavy, R. (2016). Intuitive interference in science and mathematics education. In Z. Smyrnaiou, M. Riopel, & M. Sotiriou (Eds.) Recent Advances in Science and Technology Education, Ranging from Modern Pedagogies to Neuroeducation and Assessment. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. [link]
Stavy, R., & Babai, R. (2009). The fallacy of intuitive thinking in science. In Avishai Henik (Ed.), Neuroscience, Cognition and Education final report, pp 119-156. (in Hebrew). [link]
Gigi, A., & Babai, R. (2007). Familial CJD - what triggers the disease onset? In M. J. Stones (Ed.) Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: New research, pp 37-52. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers. [link]
Edited book
Babai, R., & Tsamir, P. (2002). Studies in science and mathematics education, volume II. Tel Aviv: Ramot, Tel Aviv University. (in Hebrew).
