Adjunct Professor Keith R Skamp BSc(Hons)(Syd) DipEd(Syd) MEd(NE) PhD(Syd) Keith is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Education. His areas of specialization are science and environmental education and research methodology and he lectures in undergraduate and graduate units in these areas. Keith has being been involved in the professional development of primary and secondary teachers at state, national and international levels for many years, including current collaboration as a consultant for the Australian Academy of Science’s Primary Connections project. Keith’s research focuses on science and environmental education and he has published widely in these areas including being the editor and main writer of the successful text Teaching Primary Science Constructively (3rd edition, 2008; 4th edition 2011) and a 2007 report for the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage, A review of air quality community education. In 2009 he submitted a series of recommendations to the NSW Department of Education and Training based on a world-wide literature review of research and best practice in Education for Sustainability. Keith has numerous refereed journal publications (62), many in internationally recognized research journals as well as over 40 other publications; been the editor and main writer of a highly successful research-based book, Teaching primary science constructively, soon to be in its 4th edition, which has sold over 25,000 copies and is the recommended text in about 20 universities; obtained a steady and sustained flow of external research and consultancy funds (exceeding $100,000) related to science and environmental education projects; accepted invitations to complete research-based consultancies, present research-based keynote conference addresses and research seminars at many international universities; given over 40 presentations, mainly at international conferences; been an external examiner of many doctoral theses from a wide range of Australian universities; received the SCU VC Award for Excellence and Achievement (Teaching and Learning) (2003) ($10,000); and received the ‘Distinguished Service Award’ from the Australian Science Teachers’ Association (2002). Keith’s main research and scholarly contributions to science education and environmental education include: • A scholarly critique of pedagogy which facilitates constructivist learning for primary school learners of science and the preparation of their preservice and practicing teachers to engage with this pedagogy; • The description of a research-based explanatory model for the development of preservice teachers’ perceptions of effective teachers of primary science; • Recommendations made to the NSW Department of Education and Training: (1) of evidence-based conceptual schema underpinning its primary science (and technology) syllabus; and (2) of foundations for an evidence-based framework for ‘Educating for Sustainability’ in NSW schools; • Interpretations and insights to assist in understanding teachers’ approaches to using outdoor learning areas (called learnscapes) for environmental purposes; • Identification of key variables in primary and secondary students’ understanding of, and willingness to take actions related to, air quality and global warming.
Journal articles
Can science education help to reduce global warming? An international study of the links between students' beliefs and their willingness to act (with Manuel Rodriguez, Edward Boyes, Martin Stanisstreet, Georigios Malandrakis, Roseanne Fortner, Ahmet Kilinc, Neil Taylor, Kiran Chhokar, Shweta Dua, Abdullah Ambusaidi, Poh-Ai I. Cheong, Hye-Gyoung Yoon, and Mijung Kim), The International Journal of Science in Society (2011)
In this period of environmental degradation it is essential to assist people to change their...
Teaching chemistry in primary science: what does the research suggest?, Teaching Science (2011)
Understanding students' beliefs about actions and willingness to act on global warming in Korea and Singapore (with H G. Yoon, Y Kim, E Boyes, and Martin Stanisstreet), Journal of the Korean Association for Science Education (2011)
Australian secondary students’ views about global warming: beliefs about actions, and willingness to act (with Edward Boyes and Martin Stanisstreet), Research in Science Education (2009)
A 44-item questionnaire was constructed to determine secondary students’ views about how useful various specific...
Cam McRobbie: a man for all seasons (with Gregory P. Thomas), Cultural Studies of Science Education (2009)
This article reviews the contributions of Campbell John McRobbie, Cam, to science education scholarship and...
Books
A review of air quality education (with Iris Bergmann, Ros Taplin, and Kristina Cooke), (2007)
This report provides a review of current and recent major air quality community education programs...
Book chapters
Emerging trends and themes in professional doctorate research: doctoral research in education, Professional doctorate research in Australia: commentary and case studies from business, education and indigenous studies (2009)
Conference presentations
Student mental models of global warming and climate change: what does research tell us? (with Eddie Boyes, Martin Stanisstreet, M Rodriguez, Georigios Malandrakis, Roseanne Fortner, Ahmet Kilinc, N Taylor, Kiran Chhokar, Shweta Dua, Abdullah Ambusaidi, I P-A Cheong, M Kim, and Hye-Gyoung Yoon), National Research Council Workshop on Climate Change Education in Formal Settings, K-14 (2011)
Students’ beliefs and willingness to take specific actions to reduce global warming (with Eddie Boyes and Martin Stanisstreet), Celebrating diversity in science, in learning, in the environment: CONASTA 59: the annual conference of the Australian Science Teachers Association (2010)
A comparative study: beliefs and willingness to act about global warming: comparing secondary students' responses in Australia and England (Conference) (with E Boyes and Martin Stanisstreet), 29th NSW Environmental Education Conference (2009)
A comparative study: beliefs and willingness to act about global warming: comparing secondary students' responses in Australia and England (with Edward Boyes and Martin Stanisstreet), 40th Australasian Science Education Research Conference (2009)
'Australian secondary students secondary students' views about global warming: beliefs about actions, and willingness to act (with Edward Boyes and Martin Stanisstreet), 15th Australian Association for Environmental Education Conference (2008)
NSW secondary students’ views (n=500) about how useful various specific actions might be at reducing...