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/sustainability 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/sustainability education and he has
published widely in these areas. Major publications include: 

Editor and main writer of the successful text Teaching Primary Science Constructively
(Cengage: 4th edition (2012) and 5th edition under preparation); 

A significant research report titled Teaching Primary Science: Trial-teacher feedback on
the implementation of Primary Connections and the 5E model (AAS: Canberra, 2012); 

A Critical review of current international best practice and research evidence regarding
the implementation of EE and EfS K-12 (since 1990) (NSW Department of Education and
Training: 2009) (incorporating a series of recommendations for implementing EfS) 

A report for the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage, A
review of air quality community education. (ARIES: 2007) 

Keith has numerous refereed journal publications (65), 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 5th 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 $180,000) related to science and
environmental/sustainability education projects; accepted invitations to complete
research-based consultancies, present research-based keynote conference addresses and
research seminars at many international universities; given over 45 presentations, mainly
at international conferences; been an external examiner of many doctoral theses from a
wide range of Australian and international 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: 

• Identification of key variables in primary and secondary students’ understanding of,
and willingness to take actions related to, air quality and global warming. 

• 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. 

Journal articles

Link

The impact of teachers and their science teaching on students’ ‘science interest’: a four-year study (with Marianne R. Logan), International Journal of Science Education (2013)

There is a crisis in school science in Australia and this may be related to...

 

Link

Beliefs and willingness to act about global warming: where to focus science pedagogy? (with Eddie Boyes and Martin Stanisstreet), Science Education (2013)

Science educators have a key role in empowering students to take action to reduce global...

 

Link

Knowing and learning about science in primary school ‘communities of science practice’: the views of participating scientists in the MyScience Initiative (with Anne Forbes), Research in Science Education (2013)

MyScience is a primary science education initiative in which being in a community of practice...

 

Link

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...

 

Books

PDF

Teaching primary science constructively (3rd edn), ERA Research Outputs (2008)

Written for students in undergraduate primary teacher education courses and for practising primary teachers. It...

 

PDF

A review of air quality community education (with Iris Bergmann, Ros Taplin, and Kristina Cooke), ERA Research Outputs (2007)

This report provides a review of current and recent major air quality community education programs...

 

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

Materials, Teaching primary science constructively (2011)
 

Materials and change, Teaching primary science constructively (2011)
 

Our place in space, Teaching primary science constructively (2011)
 

Teaching primary science constructively (4th edn chapter)), School of Education research papers (2011)
 

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

Implementation of science based on the 5E learning model: insights from teacher feedback on trial Primary Connections units (with Shelley Peers), Australasian Science Education Research Association Conference (2012)
 

Teachers’ implementation of primary connections: insights from teacher feedback (with Shelley Peers), CONASTA 61: Conference of the Australian Science Teachers' Association (2012)
 

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)
 

Secondary students’ beliefs and willingness to act to reduce global warming: an international study (with Eddie Boyes, Martin Stanisstreet, Manuel Rodriguez, Georgios Malandrakis, Roseanne Fortner, Ahmet Kilinc, Neil Taylor, Dua Shweta Choker Kiran, Ambusaidi Abdullah, Irene Cheong, Mijung Kim, and Hye-Gyoung Yoon), World Environmental Education Congress (2011)
 

Secondary students’ beliefs and willingness to act to reduce global warming: an international study related to transport options and its consequences for science education (with Eddie Boyes, Martin Stanisstreet, Manuel Rodriguez, Georgios Malandrakis, Roseanne Fortner, Ahmet Kilinc, Neil Taylor, Dua Shweta Choker Kiran, Abdullah Ambusaidi, Irene Cheong, Mijung Kim, and Hye-Gyonug Yoon), Australasian Science Education Research Association Conference (2011)
 

Reports

Link

Teaching primary science: trial-teacher feedback on the implementation of PrimaryConnections and the 5E model, Australian Academy of Science (2012)

This report (Teaching primary science: Trial-teacher feedback on the implementation of PrimaryConnections and the 5E...