Science Education

[Photo Credit: K. Badek]

Current Research Projects

Modelling activities (Mathematics/Science) for school students in Years 9-12 (Dr Peter McIntyre)

Many high-school textbooks are lacking in applications of Mathematics to problems that might interest students. This CD provides a wide range of such activities, based on the use of graphics calculators.

Physics education (Dr David Low)

Collation and evaluation of good practice in Physics service teaching. What makes for “good” service teaching? Are there common factors? Is it material, presentation, personnel, …? How important is continuity? Do student attitudes override staff attitudes? Do students think they get value from the physics component of their service teaching? Does a student's attitude change over the course of their degree? Do graduates (graduands) look back on the physics service teaching with appreciation or horror? Why? What are staff attitudes towards service teaching?

Predicting university performance (Dr Joanne Chapman with Dr Steven Barry)

University admissions in Australia are dictated primarily by entrance ranking scores (TER) based on all courses taken in secondary school. However, these are unreliable indicators of ability to do mathematically-based university courses. Differences in mathematical curricula between Australian states also complicate admissions for students moving interstate, especially with 19 or more different mathematical courses being offered in high schools across Australia . Our research compares student TER and performance in a diagnostic test, against their university grade at the end of one semester to find a better predictor than simple TER measures. Our research also looks at the difference in performance of students with the same level of ability in different courses.

The reflective student (Dr Amy Griffin)

This scholarship of teaching and learning research aims to develop and evaluate pedagogical methods through which we can encourage students to reflect more deeply upon what they are learning. In 2006, I worked on an international, comparative analysis of active learning pedagogies, which was published in early 2008 in the Journal of Geography in Higher Education.

Recent Research Projects

Academic performance of officer cadets (Dr Steven Barry, Dr Joanne Chapman & Dr Peter McIntyre)

We investigate how the state of origin and educational achievements in Year 12 of officer cadets predict their academic performance at UNSW@ADFA.

E-learning for geography's teaching and learning spaces (Julie Kesby with Dr Kenneth Lynch, Prof. Bob Bednarz, James Boxall, Assoc. Prof. Lex Chalmers, Dr Derek France)

This project emanates from an (INLT) International Network for Learning & Teaching Geography in Higher Education workshop held in Brisbane in 2006. Discussion by group participants at the workshop and via online media post the workshop led to the development of a paper examining e-learning technologies, best practices, and the versatility in the use of e-learning approaches available to teachers and learners of geography.

Misconceptions in tertiary science and engineering mathematics (Dr Zlatko Jovanoski, Assoc. Prof. Harvinder Sidhu & Dr Peter McIntyre)

We investigate misconceptions at higher undergraduate levels, both in Science and Engineering Mathematics courses. This research provides us with some general insights into student learning, and our results may have general implications for pedagogical practice.

Popular mathematics writing (Prof. Colin Pask)

This work looks at the trends in writing about using mathematics in magazines and books aimed at the non-expert reader. There are also links to the evolution of mathematics-teaching methods and relevant new results in cognitive science.

Members of the Science Education Research Group

Academic Staff:

Dr Steven Barry (s.barry@adfa.edu.au) BSc Adelaide, PhD UNSW
Dr Joanne Chapman (j.chapman@adfa.edu.au) BSc PhD Lancaster
Dr Amy Griffin (a.griffin@adfa.edu.au) MSc, PhD Pens
Dr Zlatko Jovanoski (z.jovanoski@adfa.edu.au) BSc Mon, PhD UNSW
Dr David Low (d.low@adfa.edu.au) BSc, PhD Adelaide, MAIP, MAMOS, MAGU
Dr Peter McIntyre (p.mcintyre@adfa.edu.au) BSc, PhD ANU
Assoc. Prof. Harvinder Sidhu (h.sidhu@adfa.edu.au) BSc Qld, DipEd S'pore, PhD Qld
Dr Leesa Sidhu (l.sidhu@adfa.edu.au) BSc, DipEd, MEdSt Qld, PhD UNSW

Visiting Fellows:

Assoc. Prof. Ted Catchpole (e.catchpole@adfa.edu.au) BSc Lond., MSc Kent, PhD Dund.
Prof. Colin Pask (c.pask@adfa.edu.au) BSc Lond., PhD UNSW
Mrs Barbara Catchpole (b.catchpole@adfa.edu.au) BSc W'gong., DipEd Canberra C.A.E.

Research Officer:

Ms Julie Kesby (j.kesby@adfa.edu.au) BSc (Hons) UNE, Grad Dip Lib Canberra C.A.E.

Collaborators:

Prof. B. Bednarz (Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, USA)
Mr J. Boxall (GIS Centre, Dalhousie University, Canada)
Prof. M. Bradford (School of Environment and Development, University of Manchester)
Assoc. Prof. L. Chalmers (Department of Geography, Tourism & Environmental Planning, University of Waikato, NZ)
Dr D. France (Department of Geography and Development Studies, University of Chester, UK )
Prof. R. Henderson (University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK )
Dr. C. Jocoy (Department of Geography, California State University at Long Beach)
Assoc. Prof. S. Klumchuk (Department of Applied Mathematics, Auckland University of Technology, NZ).
Dr K. Lynch (Department of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, UK)
Dr Y. Liu (Humanities and Social Studies Education Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Singapore )
Assoc. Prof. R. Scheyvens (School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University)
Ms M. Smith (Canberra College, ACT)